It's All In Your Head
by misselenasalvatore011
Summary: She made him a promise. That she would try to live a normal life. But does an abusive husband, suicidal tendancies and a faux image have Elena wishing for the not so normal she had with Stefan?
1. Chapter 1

A/N: Point of inquiry… Should I start with a new fic and continue Ingraved in a Heart, or should I save this fic for when I finish IIAH? Don't forget to place your opinion in the review section!

Here's the Prologue of the new fic I'm thinking about. Enjoy!

Disclaimer- I don't own the Vampire Diaries or any of the characters. I do own the character of Ryan Smithsdale and any other characters that are not in the actual show.

The pain is in my head. 'I'm only imagining it' seems to come more often than hello from him.

It's not in my head now. I know this because I am the third person to lie on this floor possibly bleeding to death. But I wanted to escape this house, this kitchen, this life. I did it the only way I knew how.

I heard the voices of the paramedics sounding in the background. I wasn't paying much attention though. I felt myself being lifted off the floor onto the gurney. I ignored all the questions. Let them figure it out themselves why a perfect trophy wife would do such a thing to herself. Why she decided to inflict pain on herself. All I will say to them is "It's all in my head. I'm only imagining it."

Beep. . Was the sound filling my eardrums when I woke up. I was afraid to open my eyes at the fear he was there beside me. I opened it slightly to relief of an empty room. I then realized the searing pain in my stomach where the knife had previously been, and felt the matching pains on my thighs where I had cut too. The nurse across from my open door must have seen me wake up, and I quickly closed my eyes again to avoid the questions.

"Hey sugar plum! Wakin up I see? How bout a little more morphine to help the pain?" She asked with a soothing voice.

I couldn't speak very well so I just nodded my head yes. I watched as she injected it into my drip, and fixed the height of my bed.

"Now, I know you aren't into talking, but you had a guy here pretty worried about you" She said, making me think that he came here to hurt me some more.

I must have had a fearful expression upon my face because she reassured me that I had nothing to worry about yet.

" Sweet boy, probably about 24, with a buzz cut and ripped jeans?" She asked, obviously describing my brother Jeremy. I let out a sigh of relief, watching as the nurse left the room.

After another long nap, I was surprised by Anna and Jeremy walking into the room. Behind them was their daughter Sawyer, wrapped behind Anna's leg.

"Elena what the hell were you thinking?" Jeremy asked, sitting on the side of the bed kissing my head. Anna put her hand on mine, and Sawyer kissed my elbow which was pointed towards the door.

I didn't want to upset Sawyer, so I eyed her and said "Clumsy I guess."

He scoffed quickly, and picked his daughter up carefully.

"Sawyer, why don't you and mama go downstairs to get Auntie Elena a big stuffed animal okay?" He asked, talking soft and smooth. She nodded and took her moms hand, walking out the door.

"Jer, you're so good with her" I said, suddenly jealous of the family he has.

"Cut the crap Elena, what kind of stunt was that? You know that I have lost too much to lose you too" He said, stern and confused.

"I-I don't know." I said, with complete truth behind the statement. I don't really know why I did it. There have been a million times that I've thought about it. But today was the day that made me realize I couldn't take it anymore.

"Whatever, I'm just glad you're okay" He said relieved, now pulling a chair up next to the bed.

"Jer, is- Ryan here?" I asked, swallowing deeply.

"No, I didn't call him yet, shit!" He said, pulling out his iphone.

"No, please don't call him! please don't! he'll- just please don't tell him!" I said, begging as loud as I could. He looked puzzled at my plead, making me want to rephrase my sentence.

"It's just that he would kill me if he knew that I tried to kill myself today." I said, afraid of the impending answer.

"Elena, you're supposed to call your husband if you tried to commit suicide. Besides, what is the name under anyways if you didn't speak?" He asked, now making me suddenly curious as to how I even got here.

"I- I don't know actually" I said, scanning the room to make sure there was no sign of him.

Jeremy stepped outside of the room, and returned a few minutes later with the nurse who was already in here once.

"Can I know who admitted me in here? I called 911 but I didn't give a name" I said, trying to think logically.

"Sure baby, the name is…" She said, looking all over for the name.

"Oh here we go, it says that you were admitted by a Mr. Salvatore" She said, as if nothing was out of the ordinary. I sucked in a harsh breath, and immediately was taken back six years. 6 years since we last saw each other.

"Elena, try not to forget about me. I'm coming back for you. Whether it's in a week or a decade, you will always be on my mind. You're the one I love, Elena. Forever. And I want one thing from you" He said fighting the tears that were pouring down both of our faces.

"What?" I asked, hiccupping from the sobs that were escaping my mouth.

"I want you to try your very best to move on. I know that it will be hard, and will seem wrong, but I want you to be happy, and sitting here, waiting for me to come home, that's not happy. That's torture, Elena. I want you to mourn me for a little bit. Give yourself time to heal, because I know that it will take me years to ever stop hearing your laugh in my head. But, I want you to try to have a normal life. And when I come back here, which I know I will, you will have a choice. And it's not going to be an easy one. But, if you remember this, right here, right now, the love that we share? The choice will be easy." He declared, holding me in his arms for what would be the last time.

That night seems like forever ago. Like a whole other lifetime.

Snapping out of my flashback, I remembered that the nurse was still in the room, waiting for the other questions I meant to ask her.

"Wait, did the Salvatore have a name?" I asked timidly, almost afraid of the disappointment that was sure to follow.

"Yes ma'am it says… Stefan Salvatore admitted you darling. Says that he came to visit you after a long time, and knocked for 30 minutes. He then said that he heard you agonizing in pain and ripped down the door to get to you. You're lucky, if he got there maybe 10 minutes later, you would be dead now" The nurse said, making my heart race with just the name.

"He came back" I said faintly to myself.

"What was that darling?" The nurse asked, now filling out a few things on my charts.

I ignored her question because of the million thoughts running through my head. The nurse left the room, and Jeremy went behind her to close the door.

"Elena, Stefan Salvatore?" He asked, making it sound like I had something to do with it.

"Jer, I want you to listen to me very carefully. First, do not under any circumstances call Ryan. Second, if you see Stefan, act as if you are surprised to see him. I don't want him to know that I'm awake. Third, go home and bring me a bag with the following. A pair of jeans, a top, my ballet flats, my toiletries, and my tampon box. Please do not ask questions though" I declared, watching as the confusion settled upon his face. He didn't ask questions though.

Stefan. He kept his promise. But, I didn't. I didn't hold up my side of the deal we made so many years ago. I promised that I would try to live a normal life. But in reality, my life has never been normal. Not one bit of it since Stefan left. My life was normal when he was here. It was simple and complete. I felt like I needed nothing more than him. Kids, grandkids, growing old together, it was all an easy sacrifice for me if it meant spending forever with him.

I shouldn't have tried to force a happy life upon myself. It was too late for that. In fact, it was too late for my life to be normal the second I turned into a vampire. The day I married a man that I had no compassion for. The night I let him abuse me. The morning I let it happen again. It was not normal, for me to be this damaged.

A/N: Alright! That was just the prologue of the new story! I've had this story line in my head for a really long time, and I just read a fic that got me so inspired! So please, review to let me know whether or not I should try and tackle two stories at the same time, or if I should wait to finish Ingraved in a Heart!

XOXOXOX- M


	2. Dear Diary

I am not going to write in a diary again. That's all I tell myself day after day. I will not.

Despite the ever present issues I have to face today, my diary means I have hit rock bottom, and I don't feel like admitting it. And the worst part? There's eight finished diaries tucked away in my house. I'm officially starting my ninth as of now.

Although my awaited past out patient scans are still unknown and my "husband" is unaware that I'm in the hospital, all I could think about were those 5 syllables.

Ste-fan-Sal-va-tore.

That name was banished from my mind long ago. I never banished it from my diary though.

Whenever Ryan had an episode, instead of thinking about fighting back, I would think "Stefan would never do this to me."

"Does that make me a bad person?" I asked myself, contemplating my sanity.

"You're not a bad person" a voice said from the other side of the room.

My heart pounded. I was afraid to look over. The face I've been picturing in my head for so many years. I don't want it to change. It was the look he gave me when he told me he loved me.

"Don't be startled. I didn't exactly plan on meeting you again like this" the voice said softly from the corner. It was the same, but everything was different. It was full of melancholy and dread, nothing like the man I thought I knew.

"Just don't speak" I begged, feeling the flames in my throat due to the lack of water.

The voice stopped, and I heard footsteps. I closed my eyes, afraid to look at the one man I thought I would never ever have the privilege of looking at again. The footsteps got nearer, finally at my bed side. I kept my eyes shut tight, and listened to the sound of water being poured into a paper cup. He set it down on the tray that was next to my bed and walked back to the darkness.

"Thank you" I said, surprised at the gesture considering I had only said three words and he knew exactly what I needed.

"Elena, please talk to me" He said, now with the same husky voice I remember. It made my side ache for more.

"I can't exactly do that right now. You go first" I said, trying my very best to not be snarky despite my lack of sleep and pain medication.

"I-I thought you were happy" He said, stuttering in the beginning. It sounded as if he was on the verge of tears, bringing the ache in my side back.

"Why would you think that I'm not?" I rebutted, hoarsely.

"Elena, you're in the hospital due to multiple stab wounds, all of which are self inflicted. You've been asleep for two days and all you've been saying is three phrases. 'No Ryan, please stop, you're hurting me', 'I have a right to be happy' and one other." He said, now getting up. I decided to close my eyes again, and suddenly felt a cool touch to my stomach.

"What's the other one?" I asked curiously, feeling electricity run through my body.

"Stefan, come back" He said pausing, probably afraid of the denial I was about to utilize.

I sighed angrily, and turned my head slightly to indicate I did not want to see him.

"Why do you keep closing your eyes every time I get close to you?" He asked, noticing my tactic.

I thought about the risk I was putting myself through telling him that it was because of my mental image of him from high school.

"No reason" I replied, not wanting to give him too much power too soon.

He walked back to the seat and resumed his position reading the New York Times from three weeks ago, letting out a disappointed sigh that could win against a seven year old girls'.

"Stefan, why are you here?" I asked blatantly, desperately needing to know why he came.

He contemplated this question for a while, probably thinking of the best way to phrase his sentence.

"I kept my promise to you Elena. I told you that I would come back for you when I knew there would be no more distractions for us. When I could finally start a life with you." He stated, voice ringing in my head when he said he came back for me.

"Well I'm married Stefan" I said, not wanting to betray the vows that meant nothing to begin with.

"I know Elena, you followed my instructions. Except, you are not happy." He said, as if it had no room for argumentation.

"Stefan, just because my marriage isn't blissful and full of roses and jewelry doesn't mean I'm unhappy" I defended.

"Elena, you think I don't know you, or Ryan but I do. Actually, I've known Ryan for a while now" He said, making me extremely suspicious.

"What do you mean?" I asked shakily, afraid of the answer.

He got up from the corner, and again I closed my eyes. This time he did not ask why, but instead placed the back of his hand on my cheek. I shuddered at the touch of it, and felt as if no time had gone by since he last cradled my face.

"Elena, Ryan is not who he says he is" He said, dropping his hand from my face.

"What do you mean he's not who he says he is?" I asked quickly, fed up with the discussion.

"I will explain it all in due time, but you are not in any condition to hear news like that. You can't even look at me, so we will take baby steps" He said brightly, opening the blinds that allowed the sun to shine through the dirty window.

"Stefan, do you think you could explain a part of it to me after I take a nap?" I asked, drifting off to sleep as I spoke.

"Of course. I'm not going anywhere, I promise" He said, returning to his chair.

"Stefan, if I start to talk in my sleep again, please don't listen to it" I begged, not wanting him to listen to my thoughts.

"I wont Lena, you have my word" He said, making my heart do a backflip at the nickname he just used, taking me back to high school.

I fell asleep, and was awaken about three hours later by a door slam. I opened my eyes suddenly, and saw the man in the door I was most afraid of.

"Elena, what the hell?" He demanded, storming over to the bed. I flinched as he walked up to me, and suddenly Stefan was at my other side.

"Hello Mr. Smithsdale, my name is Stefan Salvatore. I don't know if Elena ever mentioned me over the years." Stefan said, introducing himself politely.

Ryan glared at him suspiciously, taking into account his young looks and bulging muscles.

"No, she hasn't" He said rudely. He took my hair in his hands and shoved my head up against his chest as if he was hugging me, causing my head to pound massively.

"Ouch Ryan, my stitches" I said softly, afraid to complain.

I heard a slap, and looked at Ryan's face, which had the look of anger written across it. Stefan must have hit his hand to let me go.

"Salvatore was it? Keep your hands to yourself and no one gets hurt" Ryan said, territorially.

"Elena, I'm going to go get the nurse to see when you get out of here" Ryan said quickly, storming out of the room.

I let out a sigh of relief and closed my eyes again. Stefan was still in the room and I felt his hands on my wrists.

"Elena look at me please!" He begged.

I contemplated this, realizing that whenever I was discharged I would have to look at him again. I opened my eyes slightly, and opened them fully once I saw what was infront of my face.

Cold marble jaw and features chiseled out of stone. Emerald green eyes with gold flecks, high cheekbones, and the same tousled hair that I loved with all my heart. Stefan from 2009.

That was when I realized that I had a serious choice to make.

A/N: sorry for the short chapter! Love writing this story line! So much wiggle room! Look forward to the next chapter! Elena gets discharged, more of Ryan and Stefan, and definitely more Stelena!

Don't forget to R/R!

Xoxoxoxo- Maddie


	3. Nightmares

He was still standing there, even when I told him to go. Standing over me as if he owned me, and my body. It was a Thursday night, about 4 months after we married. It was hot and stuffy outside, so I decided to wear spandex shorts and a sports bra to go running. He came down stairs, taking me in his arms from behind.

"You know, you shouldn't go outside in that kind of outfit. We don't want the neighbors getting any ideas" He said, pulling down my shorts. I tried to inch out of his hold but he wouldn't budge.

"It's just for running. It's hot out and I don't want to overheat" I said, trying to make it innocent sounding. He shook his head and tightened his grip.

"Well, maybe I'll just go to the gym then" I said, trying to please him.

"Or you can go back upstairs and change. The only one who should get to see you like this is me. And we have some curious neighbors who would love nothing more than a show from Elena Smithsdale!" He shouted, pulling at the fabric on my body. His arm got tighter around my body, forcing me to squirm to breath.

"Ryan- I cant- breathe!" I exclaimed breathlessly, hitting as hard as I could to make him let go.

"If I let go will you put on some more clothes, say pants and a shirt?" He asked, as if it was a debate.

Needing to breath I yelled yes, relieved once he let go. I heaved forward, afraid I might throw up the dinner I just ate, trembling from the threat.

I screamed, and began to run outside, afraid of him. He chased after me, pulling me into the house before I could get out. He put me over his shoulder and carried me upstairs, taking off my clothes as he went. I was crying and hitting, trying to fight back, but I couldn't because of his massive body blocking me. He threw me on the bed, and took off all my clothes, inserting himself inside me despite my screams and hits I was throwing.

"Ryan get off of me! GET OFF!" I yelled, hitting him as hard as I could. He just laughed, thrusting back and forth without my permission. He was too heavy for me to move, having an easy 100 pounds on me.

I cried for the entire time, pleading for him to stop. When he was finally over, he got off of me, and slapped my ass.

"Angry sex is so much more fun huh? I think we should do this more often!" was all he said before exiting the room, leaving me there naked and trembling. That was the first time he ever abused me. And from then on, that was the only way he ever got anything out of me. By forcing me to sleep with him, and threatening my safety.

I felt a gentle shake, and opened my eyes, relieved to see Stefan standing over me.

"Stefan?" I asked, hoping I wasn't me hallucinating.

"Elena, are you okay? You were screaming in your sleep" He said softly, soothing my quickened heartbeat.

"Just a bad dream, that's all" I said, easing his tense stance. He sat on the bed, and took my hands in his, making me flinch at the coldness. I relaxed after a second and allowed him to keep them.

"Want to talk about it?" He asked, sitting there quietly.

I began to think about the dream and I decided I did not want to recollect it.

"No thanks" I said, causing him to nod and walk back to the seat he had right next to my bed. I was surprised to see I was home, not remembering being discharged.

"When did I get here?" I asked, not understanding.

"About an hour ago. I brought you home, you were asleep and Ryan went to something for work" He said, keeping his tone soft and calm. My insides were fluttering, but I couldn't tell if it was because of Stefan or if it was the nervousness I just got from the mention of Ryan.

"Oh. Thank you" I said gratefully, glad I could be out of the public eye for a while. He smiled and resumed reading The Great Gatsby, a book I remember him forcing me to read.

"Gatsby. I remember when you made me read that because you said you couldn't have a girlfriend that hasn't read the best book of the 20th century" I said chuckling weakly. He threw his head backwards and laughed, as if it was the funniest thing ever.

"You yelled at me for days until you began to actually read it! Remember when you couldn't pronounce the words and threw it at me?" he asked still laughing. I remembered that day like it was last week. It made my heart sink, realizing how I let my life slip away.

He stopped laughing when he realized I had a somber look on my face, and caressed my hand that was laying palm up.

"Don't worry Elena, I'm going to take care of everything" He said reassuringly, calming my nerves.

"What do you mean?" I asked, wondering to what extent he meant everything.

"Don't focus on that, just focus on getting better" He said, redirecting my mindset. I would have normally fought back, but I was dreary from the pain medication he had me on. Stefan glanced at his watch, and at me oddly, as if something was extremely uncomfortable.

"Time for a bath. Doctors orders are strictly from 11-11:30am" He said, justifying his point with proof, typical Stefan. I thought of the fact that I could barely stand up rather than bathe myself, and shook my head.

"Elena, you need to wash your wounds and change the bandages, and the only way to do that is by bathing" He said firmly. He came over to my bed and took me into his arms carefully and gently, cradling my head against his chest. I gave in, knowing I would have lost the fight anyways and allowed him to carry me to the large bathroom.

"Alright, do you think you can undress by yourself?" he asked worried.

"I don't know. I can try?" I offered, shaky on my feet.

"Alright, I'm right here if you need my help. I'll give you privacy, but if you feel any discomfort just call me, I promise I wont look" He said, respecting my fears.

I mouthed the words 'Thank you' and watched as he shut the door carefully. I gripped the towel rack and began trying to take off the lace underwear I had on, causing my head to begin spinning. I held off from trying from the bottom first, and began to attempt my top, succeeding after several tries. I unclipped the bra, but forgot to take a break, causing me to get dizzy and fall over. My head was spinning and I felt my stitches begin to tear.

"Stefan" I managed to yell from the floor, hurting everywhere. He came into the room hurriedly, examining the situation before taking action.

"Tell me right now Elena, am I allowed to open my eyes to help you?" He asked, making the pain stop momentarily because of the amount of respect he just showed. I remembered all the times he had seen me naked before, and took into account that my body was in even better shape now. Although this was an irrational thing to be thinking about, it was the only thing I could manage to focus on.

"You can open them" I said weakly, watching as he did not even gawk at my body, and focused on nothing more than getting me undressed and into the water. He sat at the foot of the tub as my head began to stop turning, watching as I sipped the water he had brought me seconds ago.

"Thank you, for helping me" I said thankfully. He changed his position and began to straighten up nervously, an old Stefan habit.

"You're welcome Elena" He returned, folding towels that were going into the laundry baskets anyways. A few minutes went by and I decided that the water was too cold now, wanting to get out.

"Alright, let me just find a towel" He said, walking over the counter that had a folded plush towel waiting. He came over to me and picked me up gently from the tub, hands on my wet body. His touch sent shivers down my spine, leaving me wanting more. He rubbed the towel over my wounds gently, facing me directly. He was looking at my body as if it were a piece of art, rather than a piece of meat I was so used to. He realized that I knew he was staring and turned his eyes away, embarrassed by the situation. I shook my head, and told him it was okay.

"You saved me Stefan. Plus, you've seen me like this hundreds of times" I said, trying to appease his fear. He chuckled and nodded, wrapping the towel around me protectively.

"Lets get you back into bed" He said, carrying me again to bed, placing me down into the cold soft sheets.

"What would you like to wear?" He asked, giving me the choice of pajamas.

"The purple lace ones please" I said, remembering that I bought them because I thought it was Ryan's favorite color on me, and then realized it was Stefan's when Ryan told me I looked like a grape in them.

He brought them over to me along with another pair of lace underwear and began to dress me carefully as if I were a china doll.

"Purple is the most amazing color on you" He said as he was working the bottoms up.

"Thank you" was what I said, despite the fact that I wanted to tell him that I got them for him.

He was leaning in close, putting my shirt on over my head, breathing his cold sweet breath onto my face. The shivers became shakes and the heat from his body radiated into my skin. I smiled sweetly as he looked at me, and pulled him in for a kiss, feeling the electricity from one kiss to another. My heart was pounding 100 miles a minute and I felt the comforting scent of his cologne fill my nostrils.

I lost track of time. We kissed, and that was all I could think about. After 4 years, we finally kissed. And in the middle of it, the one man that I would never kiss again walked in through the doors.

Hope you enjoyed this chapter! I'm loving the wiggle room it's giving me! Please read and review!

Xoxoxox- Maddie


	4. Wounds

Flinching helps develop stomach muscles. Frowning takes more effort than smiling. Keeping relaxed reduces bruising.

I felt the pain. The stinging was nothing new, and when my eyes fluttered back open, all I saw were the eyes that I despised. He was glaring down at me, casting a frightening shadow upon my face.

It was another night that I displeased him. Multiple wounds were across my face, all semi- covered with expensive face makeup. More bruises up and down my legs restricted my wardrobe. I hated going in public because of the constant questions and disapproving comments. I was afraid to be home because of the recurring fear of the abuse that I had to go through.

"Ryan, I'm going out for groceries, what would you like from the market?" I yelled from downstairs. I heard no answer and decided to go find him to avoid later reprimanding. I walked upstairs and saw him with another woman. A girl with blonde hair cascading down her back, and a smirk that reveled with a man I once cared about.

"You bastard" I spat, running down the stairs, grabbing the keys to my car.

"Elena!" I heard calling after me. I ran out of the door and slammed it on the way out with only my coat and purse in hand. I felt the adrenaline kick in, and I opened the car door, anxious to get away from this life forever. Tonight was the night I was leaving him for good.

I was about to back out when I heard a gunshot. Startled, I started the car, knowing he was coming for me. I backed out of the driveway quickly, and began to drive away, not knowing where I was going. After about three hours I stopped at a diner to eat, only to be interrupted by my phone ringing. I looked at the caller ID, relieved to see Caroline's name come up.

"Care thank god, I need to tell you something" I blurted, shaking from the nerves.

"oh is that so?" I heard from the other line. The voice sent shivers down my spine, recognizing the icy tone to be Ryans.

"Before you hang up you should know I'm at your friends house right now with a gun. If you don't come home now, she's dead" He said, causing me to panic.

I remembered that she was a vampire which could survive bullets, so I remained silent on the phone.

"Shall I put in that they're wooden?" He added, causing me to drop my phone. Wooden bullets, something he shouldn't know about. Something I hid in the past that was buried along with my ideal life. The life I was happy in.

"Leave her alone" I said shakily, throwing a fifty on the counter, not worried about change. I ran to the car and started it, heading straight home. I could not have him hurt my family.

"Good girl. I'll forget about this little incident as long as you don't ask a single question or tell a single soul about what happened tonight" He said coldly. I shivered and nodded, remembering that he was on the phone, and said "Yes" quietly.

"I'll see you in a bit" He said coolly, as if nothing happened. I hung up the phone and drove home, greeted by a slap across the face and beer breath, only to be forced to be in the bedroom with him once again, too scared to argue and fight. I had nothing left in me but hatred. Towards him, towards god, and towards the world for giving me the shittiest life possible. As if I deserved it. All I could think about was how I more than anyone deserved a happy ending. With everything I've had to suffer through, the least that the universe could give me was a happy ending.

I opened my eyes again, hearing sounds of a struggle subconsciously. I looked to the floor to see Ryan holding a stake to Stefan's heart. Too scared to think, I got out of bed and took the lamp from the nightstand and knocked it over Ryans head, smearing blood the color of night across the room. He fell over, leaving Stefan unscathed. I dropped the lamp and ran to Stefan who was on the other side of the room, looking at me as if I just killed the king.

"Elena, come here, are you okay?" He asked, holding his arms out to embrace me. I felt comforted by his presence for a few seconds before I realized what I just did.

"Stefan, get in the car, I'll meet you there in one minute, I have to grab a few things. We can't be here when he wakes up" I said frantically, grabbing the duffle bag from under my bed that was prepacked with a few outfits, a road map with several different routes to go with hotels and scattered family friends, and $10,000 I had saved from what my parents left me.

I kicked Ryan in the head one more time to ensure he was not waking up any time soon, and threw the lamp into the burning fire to dissolve of my dna from the site. I ran downstairs and grabbed the one thing I could not leave behind forever. The one memento from my past life that I simply could not leave. My parents wedding album. I put it under my shirt and ran out of the house, making sure to use my sleeve when opening the door to try my best to cover my tracks. I got into the passenger seat of red Porsche, no change to what it was so many years ago. He sped out of the driveway as soon as my door closed, buckled my seatbelt for me, seeing I was about to pass out, and squeezed my hand to ensure I was still awake.

"Elena, stay awake" He said frantically, knowing that I was extremely weak. I struggled to keep my eyes open, but I did by having him talk to me.

"What you just did was the bravest thing I have ever seen anyone do" He said, stroking my thumb. I felt a rush of heat flood to my cheeks, catching me off guard.

"I wasn't going to let you die Stefan" I replied easily. It was a given considering Stefan was the only thing keeping me alive the past few days.

We drove in silence for the next few hours, stopping only shortly to use the restroom or to get gas, avoiding cameras at all costs to ensure our tracks were covered. More silence followed, going until the next morning when a sudden halt woke me up from my sleep. We were stopped in front of a motel in the middle of nowhere, signaling it was time to rest.

"I can't drive anymore without falling asleep, and you're too high on pain meds to drive. I'll just get a room for us to stay in and we'll start back out again at dusk" He said, turning off the car and locking it to ensure no one would take it. I followed him into the hotel that was surprisingly busy. People were in the lobby, drinking coffee and reading books, much like what you would see at a ski resort. Stefan walked over to the front desk, leaving me by the door looking around anxiously, anticipating Ryan to be somewhere around the corner.

"Elena, slight problem" He said softly, awaking me from my daydream.

"One room left, one bed left" He continued, causing me to get oddly excited.

"Is that not okay?" I asked, watching as his expression went from concerned to relieved.

"As long as you're okay with it, I am" He said, leading me to the stairwell that lead to the third floor room we were staying in, carrying me in his arms up the stairs.

"Stefan you don't need to carry me, I'm fine" I said groggily, causing him to laugh.

"Elena, stairs aren't your forte to begin with, 'm not going to take any chances with you on medication fresh out of the hospital" He replied, setting me down when we got to our room. He unlocked the room and let me through to see the small room with the large bed in the middle.

Too tired to complain, I took my bag from his hands and carried it to the bathroom, shutting the door to allow me time to change into something more comfortable and clean. I chose the plaid pajama shorts with a v-neck, wanting to be as comfy as possible. I washed my face and brushed my hair before I walked out of the bathroom to see Stefan standing awkwardly at the bed. I walked past him and got on the other side of the bed, watching as he looked me up and down. Suddenly embarrassed by my outfit choice, I un tucked the sheets and got under them, covering up my body to the best of my ability. He chuckled and followed, brushing up aside me as he got in. Shivers were up and down my spine, causing my heart to race. I decided to try and sleep, wanting to be as energized as possible later.

A few minutes had gone by before Stefan said, "Elena, are you awake?"

"Yeah, can't really sleep" I said truthfully. I turned over to meet his face which was inches away from mine. I thought back to yesterday when I let go of everything and gave into the lips that taunted me every day. We held our positions for a while, just looking at each other, having silent conversations.

"Elena, what made you trust me when I came to see you?" He asked, breaking the silence.

I contemplated the question. Why did I ? For all I knew Klaus could still be alive, and Stefan is here for the sole purpose to take me back to Klaus. I took a deep breath and shoved aside that notion, knowing it wasn't true.

"Because, you never betrayed my trust before. You have never lied to me, not once. And even if you are compelled right now by Klaus, you and I both know that you haven't changed. And that deep down, I haven't either." I replied, watching his face. He looked down at the blanket and back up at me when I mentioned Klaus.

"You have changed Elena. You used to be so strong, so independent. You didn't take no for an answer, and you were the strongest person I knew. Now, you let some indecent bastard drive you to the hospital from an attempted suicide, and only left him after he threatened me. Me. How do you think that makes me feel Elena? That I of all people was the match to the flame. That if I came back for you lets say a year ago, you would be far less damaged, and far less battered" He scolded, causing me to feel a splurge of guilt heat my insides.

He took my hand which was in the center of us, and placed his on top of mine.

"Elena, you could have had what you wanted. You could have found a man that was normal, who could have given you a family and a life. I only came back because I knew you weren't. And I betrayed your trust more than once. I told you I would come back as soon as I killed Klaus, but I actually killed him three months ago. Since then, I've been watching you. Watching you give up. I only stepped in when I saw you actually hurt yourself. Every time he abused you, I wanted nothing more than to kill the guy, but I kept thinking you would retaliate. Give him a piece of the Elena I knew. She would have never let it get that far" He said softly, causing tears to roll down my face. He put out his finger and caught them as if they were pieces of gold, caressing my face.

"Don't cry Elena. You're safe with me, and you never have to go back unless you want to" He said, moving closer to hold me.

I nodded and let him hold me, falling asleep in his arms. I woke up in the morning with him still asleep, watching him breathe. I felt his cool marble skin on mine, enjoying the downtime. I watched his eyelids, heavy and still, and felt a ping in my chest that I haven't felt in years. I only ever felt it when I was with one person, and he was laying next to me right now.

"I'm falling in love with you all over again" I whispered to Stefan who was still asleep. I laid back down and fell back asleep, wanting nothing more than this. I was so infatuated with Stefan that I didn't hear the sound of the note slip under the door, penetrating the island of tranquility we created. A while later I got out of bed silently and began to walk to the bathroom to brush my teeth when I read the note. It was personalized with the letter E monogrammed on the front.

'Meet me downstairs in the lobby at 10 till 10. Come alone.

-Elijah.

A/N: Hope you enjoyed the chapter! Please don't forget to R & R!

XOXOXO- Maddie


	5. Negotiations

Stupid mistakes have happened often throughout my life. In fact, my life is based on stupid mistakes. Without them my parents would still be alive, I would have a normal life without constantly being afraid for who's around the corner, and I wouldn't have married someone that causes physical and emotional wreckage.

It was a stupid mistake to go meet Elijah in the lobby. It was a stupid mistake to trust what he was saying to go with him to see Bonnie. It was a stupid mistake to lead myself into this trap.

I was in a dark room, locked into a corner of the room by a witch Elijah had by his side. It was cold; probably a basement or cellar of a local store considering it took almost no time to get here. He was sitting on a chair across the room, watching as I took in my surroundings.

"Sorry I could not accommodate you better. Until we come to a peaceful partnership I cannot take any risks, I hope you understand" He said, hinting me in that he is weaker now than he was before.

"So, Elena. What I want from you is very simple. I want to find two men, both who have been conspiring to kill off the originals." Elijah said calmly. I must have looked puzzled because he offered more information after.

"These two men have the only weapon that can kill an original, and a lot of it. They've already killed my sister Rebekah and Klaus, and now they're after me. Here is where you come in" He said, introducing me to the problem. I shuddered at the thought that two humans have the power to kill the last living original.

"How do I fit into this?" I asked, still confused as to why I had to do it.

"Because you have simple access" He returned, making me even more confused than before.

"Elena, you're married to one of them" Elijah finished, making my heart drop to the floor. I thought back to that day where I found the wooden bullets and decided to ignore it. It was another stupid mistake.

"What? How is Ryan involved in this?" I asked furiously, wondering how long he's been plotting to do this.

"Your husband considering you two have not yet filed for divorce inherited a branch of the white oak tree. My father kept it from before he burned the tree just in case he ever needed to kill one of us. Somehow it got into the wrong hands, and your husband has been waiting to kill me his whole life." Elijah said, informing me on the background. I scoffed at the situation, not even surprised that this was his motives behind keeping me around. To get to Elijah.

"So what do I have to do?" I asked, afraid to hear the answer.

"Well, there is only one way to kill someone who has unlimited access to witches, probably invincible or extremely close to it. You rip his heart out." Elijah declared, putting an image into my head of the act. I shuddered at the thought of me doing something like that and began to shake my head.

"So you're going to be frustrating huh?" He asked sinisterly. I didn't change my answer, causing a sigh to exit his mouth.

"Well, that surely is unfortunate for you." He replied, getting up from the chair. I eyed him darkly, afraid for what he was capable of doing. I heard heavy footsteps outside the door and instantly flinched, knowing something bad was going to happen. A dark figure appears in the door, and I recognize the person by the silhouette I knew like the back of my hand.

"Stefan, what a wonderful surprise" Elijah said, walking towards where Stefan was standing.

"Let her go, I'll rip his heart out with no cost" Stefan said, obviously listening in on our conversation.

"How very noble Stefan. Except, I really feel like it would be more effective if she does it. For my personal satisfaction that is" Elijah replied, walking back over to the chair I was restrained in.

"What's the difference? He gets killed either way" I shot back rudely, both scared and aggravated with the constant recurring events.

"The difference is with you he wouldn't see it coming. If Ryan saw Stefan, he would instantly be in defense mode, knowing that Stefan is a vampire. With Elena, someone he has abused for years, he would never think that she had the guts or strength to rip his heart out" Elijah said, casting dark memories into my mind of the past three years.

"Leave Elena out of this Elijah. I will kill Ryan without him knowing what hit him, and I will even give you back the white oak branch for one thing in return" Stefan said, negotiating.

"And what on earth is that?" Elijah replied, snarky as usual.

"After I bring you his heart and the white oak ash tree you and every other vampire leave Elena alone forever. If I ever see you again, or hear that a vampire, unless invited in by Elena comes her way, the treaty is broken and I will kill you, just like I killed Klaus" Stefan said, making my heart drop.

I began to whisper Stefan's name until Elijah shushed me.

He had a serious look on his face and looked as if he was seriously contemplating the bargain.

"Fine. You bring me the heart of Ryan and the white oak ash branch and both you and Elena will never see or hear from me again. Me nor any vampire that wishes to harm you or Elena." Elijah said after a few minutes.

Stefan and Elijah shook on it, and Elijah let me out of the cellar, leading me to an upstairs of an abandoned shop about two miles from the hotel. As soon as we got outside and Elijah disappeared I began to yell at Stefan.

"Why on earth would you do that Stefan? Ryan has weapons. He has an edge! You are an easy target to him considering all he has to do is shoot you with one wooden bullet in the right place. I could have done it!" I yelled, watching as he looked away as I spoke of his safety.

"I know what I signed up for Elena, and that's how it's going to be" He said loudly. I felt like stamping my foot to the ground like a child but refrained. I began to walk past him, heading towards the hotel room.

"Where are you going?" He asked bluntly.

"I'm going back to Mystic Falls. I cannot spend my life on the run and without Ryan dead, he's still spiteful towards me and especially you. As soon as he sees you he will kill you for taking me away from him." I said angrily.

"Elena I fought Klaus, the biggest baddest vampire in the entire species and won. I won because I made you a promise I intended to keep which I did. So forgive me for trying to keep your life safe and simple. Did you not hear the deal I just made? No vampire will ever bother you again. No more creepy tomb vampires posing as pizza guys, no more people kidnapping you. That to me is reward enough, but you also get a dead ex husband that treated you like shit. What is possibly wrong with this plan?" He asked, softening his voice at the end when he saw my smile fade from the old memories.

"Stefan, you do know how these fights end up right? I don't want to take the chances" I said, beginning to pick up a slight pace.

"Why not? Why not take the chance of me killing that douche?" He asked, somewhat repeating the question.

"Because- Because I just got you back, and if you die I have no one. Caroline and Matt aren't around hardly ever, Bonnie has her own life, Jeremy and Anna have their hands full with Sawyer, and everyone else has either died or left me here. So forgive me please for holding on to someone that actually came back to me" I said, stopping my walking to face him.

He turned towards me with a soft expression and grabbed my face between his hands.

"Listen to me Elena. I have been through hell and back to get to you. I fought blood addiction and witches and original vampires to get back to you. I am never leaving again until you tell me" He said, staring at me with his deep green eyes. I nodded between his hands and felt his arms drape around me. I shuddered at the once familiar position, causing him to take his arm back. I silently cursed myself for doing something so rude and continued walking in the silence. When we got back to the hotel I went straight to the nightstand drawer and pulled out the pad of paper and pen that sat in the drawer with a bible. I planted myself on the bed and titled the page, 'Plan of Action'.

"What is that?" Stefan asked curiously.

"We can't go into this improvising. If we're gonna win this we have to be prepared. We need tactics and several back up plans. We need to think like Katherine" I said bluntly. I hadn't thought about Katherine in years. Surprised at my own words I thought about her.

"Stefan, when was the last time you heard from Katherine?" I asked wavering.

"Uhm, I think I ran into her in Bulgaria about three years ago?" He said questioning. I knew the reason she was in Bulgaria was to visit her families graves. It oddly made me feel bad for her, despite the hatred I have always held towards her.

"Stefan, I need you to pick up your cell phone and call someone for me" I said ominously. He crinkled his eyebrows but obeyed, touching the dial pad with his thumbs.

"Who am I calling?" He asked.

I took in a deep breath and quickly weighed out the pro's and con's of what I was about to say. I decided it was worth a shot, and settled my judgment.

"Stefan, I need you to call Katherine."

A/N: sorry for the delay in updates! Finals and writers block do not mix! Hope you guys enjoyed this chapter! Please don't forget to review!

Xoxox- Maddie


	6. Thursday Afternoon

A/N: I've gotten pretty upset lately about the lack of stelena this world has been omitting me, so this chapter is going to be a bit fluffy but of course crucial to the story! Please don't forget to R/R!

I was determined to win this one. I've lost enough in my life to cover half of a town's losses and yet, I'm still losing. I'm losing this fight between the vampires. I'm losing this battle in myself between morale and desire, and I'm losing any chance I have at normal.

Stefan stared at me with wide eyes when I mentioned even reaching out to Katherine. His face was elongated by the dramatic grimace he formed with his mouth. Quickly he composed himself and shook his head, attempting to control the situation.

"Elena, no, there are other options. Using Katherine will do nothing but cause more problems. I can handle this on my own" He said compassionately, stirring up a feeling I once had, recognizing it as nervousness.

"Stefan, please. Please just call her so this can all be over, because I truly just want to move on with my life, and this- this is just resurrecting an old feud that was never settled." I begged, watching his expression soften as he looked down at the gingham carpet.

He walked over to the hotel window, opening the blinds to reveal the unwashed window, casting a hazy sunshine into the room. He looked out at the small town, and pulled his cell phone out of his pocket, dialing a number.

A faint voice appeared on the other line, followed by Stefan's greetings to the other person.

"Katherine, It's Stefan" He said, still looking out at the street. I desperately wanted to go over there and listen to the conversation but instead withheld, laying down on the pillow. I watched Stefan talk to Katherine who is now in New York visiting an old friend, solemn as he discussed the issue at hand. I felt my eyes begin to flutter closed, feeling myself drift to sleep as I thought about life from before any of this happened. Before my life turned complicated.

I was awoken by a shift in the bed and opened my eyes to find Stefan sitting at the foot of it with his head in his hands. My stomach twitched a little, feeling terribly about the position I put him in.

"Stefan?" I asked quietly, knowing that he was probably not in the mood to discuss it.

"I think it was a Thursday" He said out of context, making me puzzled as to what he was talking about.

"What was a Thursday?" I asked curiously, prepared to hear anything.

"The day I asked Alaric for his blessing to propose to you" He said, still with his head in his hands. My heart sunk, caught completely off guard by the story.

"What?" I asked surprised, a stupid question in the situation.

"It was a Thursday. Right before the mess with Klaus began. It was during those few months that our lives were actually blissful" He said, allowing me to remember what he was talking about. I thought back to those days before life went downhill, smiling small at the story.

"I was cleaning my room, going through some old things when I came across a box my mother had given to me. Inside was a picture of Damon and I pre 1864, a necklace that I was planning on giving to you for your birthday, and her engagement ring" He said, continuing his story. I let him continue, wanting to hear everything, especially because it had nothing to do with Klaus.

"I sat with that ring in my hand for six hours. You were out with Caroline and Bonnie somewhere, and I sat there on my bed, contemplating my future, and yours as well. I had to consider how you saw yourself in the future. I knew that you wanted kids, and I knew that you did not want to be a vampire, but I was hopeful in the necklace Emily Bennett gave me when I was first turned" He said, finally turning to me, facing his blazing eyes. I tried to keep myself from tearing up at the what could have been, realizing that my fear of becoming a vampire had always been petty considering how it turned out being human.

"What did the necklace have to do with it?" I asked, sparking a new branch in the story.

He smiled to himself, looking down as he continued the story.

"Emily always told me that the necklace would grant me my one true wish. That all I had to do was commit it to my one wish, and it would come true" He said, causing me to become confused as to what his wish was.

"What was your wish?" I asked softly, hoping instantly that he didn't hear my question.

"My wish. My wish was to become human so that I could give you what you always wanted, and still be able to be with you" He said slowly. My heart dropped once again, remembering that it was the same wish I used to blow out my candles on every birthday cake from 18-21. I withheld from mentioning my dream and let him finish the story, now laying back down, watching the ceiling fan rotate around.

"I was going to give you the necklace at the same time as the ring, hoping you would accept both. I instantly went to Alarics after I made the decision, knowing that he was as much of a father to you as anyone else you knew" He said pausing, allowing me to realize that Alaric was my father when I had none, causing me to feel guilty for letting him move to the next town over.

I nodded my head, unable to think enough to come up with a decent thought.

"I explained to him that we would not get married until much later, and that it was mostly just a promise that I wanted to spend the rest of my life with you" Stefan said, laying down next to me, him too watching the ceiling fan.

"What did he say?" I asked eagerly.

"He said that because you're 18 you got to make your own decision, but that he always knew we would end up together, so that it was no surprise to him that it was happening this early" He said softly, looking to the side of the room where the fake Picassa hung crookedly.

I agreed, nodding my head when he spoke of always knowing we would end up together.

"And I left that Thursday, on my way home when I got the memo that Klaus was in town. After that, my main focus was keeping you alive, which I did." He said directly, closing his eyes. He shook his head, changing the atmosphere of the room.

We laid there for endless minutes. I listened to the clock on the wall tick but I was not paying attention to the time. I was endlessly absorbed in how I ended up here. How our lives got so screwed up that I ended up being abused by a vampire hunter. I didn't realize I was crying until tears were rolling down my face, clouding my vision. I opened my mouth and tasted the salt, a familiar taste in my mouth. I must have been shaking the bed in the sobs I was crying because Stefan rolled over and instantly tried to soothe me, not even asking why I was crying. I at first resisted, unable to allow myself to let go so easily, but relaxed after a while, allowing him to stroke my hair, just like my mother did when I was young.

"I would have said yes" I said softly, not breaking the pattern of his brushes. He smiled slightly and continued with my hair, allowing me the silence I so desperately needed. I don't remember falling asleep, but the relaxing scent of his skin mixed with the comfort of his presence was enough to let down my protective wall, falling asleep in his arms.

I awoke in the same position, looking up to see him watching me as I slept.

"Mmmmm" I said subconsciously, stretching as I sat up. He again smiled slightly, and looked down at my hands, scarred from the many attempts of hurting Ryan. I hid them under the pillow, breaking the gaze he withheld.

"Would you have said yes to Ryan if you knew what he was?" Stefan asked, catching me off guard. I hadn't thought about it, too busy loathing him and his existence.

"Probably not. When I met Ryan, I was in a really terrible place. I… I wasn't exactly looking for anything other than protection. I felt unsafe in my house, always afraid that Elijah or Klaus would come after me. I felt safe with Ryan, knowing that he knew nothing about that spectrum of my life." I reiterated after saying the same thing to Damon a few months back. Stefan grimaced when I mentioned Klaus and Elijah, still probably soaking in the damaging effects of the fight he must have put up.

"I will never forgive myself for leaving you. I thought it would be safer for you if you weren't caught up in my world, knowing that it was not how you planned on spending your future. That day we climbed that mountain. It was basically the deciphering factor of me leaving. I knew that you wanted to be a part of my life, but when you told me about wanting kids and a family, I felt too guilty. I couldn't give that to you, and that was all I ever wanted to do. Asking you to marry me would have been selfish. We were young, without real experience. I may be 146 years older than you, but I'm just as naive. I thought that maybe, you would want to turn to keep yourself safe, allowing me the option of keeping you forever, but you told me that you wanted the chance to grow old and have kids. And I loved you so much, so I knew that I was not the right man for you. But instead, I watched you this whole time. Watching as you tried to fall in love. Watching as you were actually happy with Ryan. Watching as he began to hurt you. And I never did anything about it. I hate myself for letting that happen to you" He admitted, basically pouring his heart out.

"Stefan none of this is your fault. I never truly loved Ryan because he… he wasn't you" I said, moving closer to him as he pulled his body near mine. I felt the heat of his body on mine, reflecting into his touch that took me by surprise.

He moved his hand from his lap to my face, stroking it with his thumb over my cheeks. I gave into his touch, laying my head in his palm. He pulled my face in, and lingered centimeters away from my face. His breath was the same sweet scent I used to feel high off of, and his blondish eyelashes were close enough to brush mine. I kissed him, too tempted by his lips, feeling my guard being let down like a brick wall getting crashed into by a bulldozer. He kissed me back softly, trying to go as slow as possible but proving to be unsuccessful, pulling my shirt over my head. I pulled his off too, tracing his muscles from back to front. He kissed my stomach all the way up to my lips, slightly nipping at my ear as he moved from spot to spot. I groaned in delight as he continued, kissing every naked spot on my body. I fell back asleep in his arms once again, now comfortable there, as if I belonged.

A week came and went, alternating between laying in bed together or going out separately to meet with both Alaric and Damon, gearing up for the plan we were in the process of formulating. Stefan was out with Damon when my cell phone went off. It was an unlocal area code, leaving me worried about answering it. I decided to pick up at the answering machine, taken surprise at Katherine leaving a message. I picked up immediately, suddenly hopeful for our plan.

We discussed logistics for a few hours until Stefan got back, causing me to hang up, not wanting Stefan suspicious. He came in quietly, kissing me on the head before walking to the desk that sat in the corner of the room. He was writing something illegible, not usual for his perfect personal script, looping in just the right places. I did not bother him with his plans, taking advantage of the time he left off to be with me. It was Thursday, the third one of the time we've been here, and I decided that I wanted to get out of the room. We walked down to the local grill, surprisingly enough much like the Mystic Grill with lesser service and food quality. After eating we walked back to the room hand in hand, just like old times. We walked into the room, and he set me on the bed as he pulled something out of his jacket pocket. It was in a long slender box, opening it to find a silver necklace with a filigree heart. Inside was an ingraved quote in Latin, not understanding what it meant. I looked up at Stefan smiling widely, watching as I looked at it with glory and surprise.

"What does it mean?" I asked politely, turning it around to get a full view of it.

"It means, Wishes come true to those who commit" Stefan translated, effortlessly as if it was his second language. I smiled and accepted it with a kiss, knowing exactly what the purpose was. I fingered the heart softly, taking in the fact that once I put this on, Stefan may or may not become human.

"Are you sure you want me to put this on?" I asked nervously, feeling unsettled at the hastiness of the situation.

"Elena, I have never been more sure of anything in my life. I know that I just got back into town, and I know that this fight we have is going to be bloody. I know that it might not work, but I want to try it, to try anything to try to give you the life I have denied you for so long. Please let me at least try to deserve you" He said back, causing my heart to melt.

"Stefan, I've never wanted something more in my life but I need you to do two things for me before I put this on" I negotiated, not stopping until he agrees.

"Alright, anything" He agreed, sitting down next to me, taking my hands in his. I smiled and looked down, comfortable in this position.

"I want to wait to put this on until after we win this battle. You haven't been a human in almost 150 years, so starting over right as two lethal people come into town is not our smartest game plan." I admitted, watching as he chuckled at his logic. He nodded, agreeing undeniably.

"What's the second?" He asked, looking up into my eyes.

"You have to promise me. Promise me that if you become human from this necklace, that you will never leave me. That you will never back off for my safety or well being, being there with me through good times and bad. I can't go through that again. So you have to promise me." I declared, slightly watching his actions. He took a deep breath and stroked the back of my hand.

"Elena, I promise I will never EVER leave you like that again. I am here until you tell me to go. Im not going anywhere." He admitted, easing the nerves slightly. I nodded, feeling emotional at the closure.

That night Stefan and I went to dinner, celebrating our new breach in the relationship. It was about 7:15pm when I felt the urge to throw up. I ran to the bathroom and hurled, feeling empty in every aspect of my body.

Stefan ran after me, holding my hair as I released whatever was toxicating my body.

"Stefan just go" I said, not wanting him to see me like this.

"Not likely Elena, it's probably what you ate for dinner" He said, stroking my hair, calming my stomach for the moment.

I felt unsure about this suggestion, knowing that I only had white jasmine rice and steamed chicken, nothing there to upset my stomach.

"Stefan, how long have we been here?" I asked queasy. I had an idea about what was going on, but I was too afraid to admit it.

"I think three weeks" He answered quickly. My stomach dropped, knowing for sure what was wrong. I closed the door in his face, causing him to bang on the door consistently. I opened my toiletry bag, finding the emergency pregnancy test I kept in my bag from the last time I went on a vacation- my honeymoon with Ryan.

"Elena open the god damned door, what the hell is going on?" Stefan demanded worried, lowering his voice at the end.

Four minutes felt like four centuries. Afraid to look, I opened the door, shoving the stick into Stefan's hands, wrapped in toilet paper.

"Elena" He said softly, now understanding the tears that were running down my face excessively.

"I can't look" I said, stifling the tears that ran down my throat.

"Elena no matter what happens, I'm here for you. I'll keep it as my own, I'll protect it. I promise" He assured me, taking me in his embrace, letting me sob into his back. He soothed me to sleep, promising me over and over that we will get through this.

Right as I was about to fall asleep, the phone rang. Stefan picked it up, showing me the caller i.d. Katherine.

I took the phone from him, answering it myself.

"Katherine it's Elena" I said, listening to the background.

"Elena what a surprise. I don't have much time to talk, but I'm in" She said satirically. I heart rate sped up, feeling nervous about her intentions.

"What's in it for you?" I asked puzzled.

"I'm done dealing with all of your drama Elena. The second all of the vampires leave you alone, they leave me alone. I want to be left alone, so I'll deal with all of your stupid drama. Keeps my life interesting anyways" She said back. I looked up at Stefan who was staring at me intently, still with his arms around me protectively.

"Deal. How soon can you be at the hotel in North Carolina right off the 48?" I asked bluntly.

"Already here" She said quickly. I heard a knock at the door, feeling Stefan place me on the bed as he opened the door.

"What a nice surprise. Now let's finish this" She said, same tone as on the phone. Yet, I was still nervous. Something is going to go wrong, simply having me involved.

A/N: Longest chapter EVER! A bit fluffy and sort of cliché, but it's better than the stupid lack of stelena we get from the show! Please please r/r!

Xoxox- M


	7. Plans

A/N: What do you guys think, keep going with this story or move on to the next one! Also, before I end this story things are going to take a HUGE change! For better or worse, you'll just have to read and find out!

*This chapter is rated M for Mature due to vulgar language and sexual situations*

Ryan POV:

I hate vampires. I hate all things that get in my way of living my life normally. They are infections on society. They are not natural. They are protruding on common life, and I have no other goal in life than to end them. Forever.

I was about 100 miles South of Mystic Falls, staying with Jason who was sharpening a stake. The place reeked of homemade vervain bombs and burning flesh to weaken the vampires senses. I looked to the table to see about 100 different weapons piled high, waiting to be used. There had to be at least 75 wooden stakes, all in case of retaliation I was so expecting. I left that slut dying and alone. That son of a bitch vampire could have eaten her for all I cared, yet I knew somehow that things were changing. I felt it. I was on edge, having trouble sleeping, taking pill after pill to try and calm myself down.

"Why the hell are you so sketchy today bro?" Jason asked, interrupting my inner monologue.

"I don't know, I just feel like something's coming" I answered, oddly offended by his loud cackle coming from my response.

"Dude, you must be totally fucked up right now." Jason returned, waving a joint in front of my face.

"Knock it off, we have to be on our game in case the bloodsucking dicks come" I said, actually nervous for once.

I felt Jason stare at me for a while, causing me to wonder what he was doing.

"What?" I asked pointedly, feeling uncomfortable with the situation.

"Nothing. Just thinking about how Elena is probably letting that vampire do whatever he wants to her right now." He said, heating me up as if he wanted to fight me.

"Like I care, I've had my way with her plenty of times, and trust me, it's not worth the energy." I said, making Jason clap his hands and pat me on the back as if I was to be rewarded.

We went out that night, bringing back two girls, one for both of us. I had to get my mind off of the possible attacks, and banging a hot chick was certainly an easy way to do it.

I brought her into the guest room, too drunk to even notice her face. I just felt her body, hard as a rock, rubbing up and down against mine. She barely spoke to me at all, just taking off her shirt, face still concealed by her hair.

"Whats- your name?" I asked between muffled kisses. She ignored the question, going down on me, giving me something else to think about. We didn't speak as we did it, too infused in the process. After about an hour of non stop intercourse we both fell asleep, not even knowing each others names.

I woke up the next morning due to the muffled wake up call I asked for at 8am. I picked up and hung up immediately, turning to where the girl from last night was. I opened my eyes and saw that she had left already. I chuckled at the success I had just experienced, getting a girl to do me without even buying her a drink or a cab ride home. I got up and walked to the bathroom, turning on the shower as hot as it goes. I stepped in, letting the hot steam engulf me as I thought about last night. She didn't even bother telling me her name.

"Bro, what's taking you so long?" Jason yelled from the other side of the bathroom.

"Nothing man, I was just thinking that the girl from last night didn't even tell me her name. it was weird" I replied truthfully. Most of the time, girls liked to be spoiled when I sleep with them, wanting at least false compliments or a prize for their scandalous actions.

"Sounds like you actually did get lucky last night!" Jason said, closing the door to let me finish the shower.

I forgot all about last night, too engulfed in the plan of attack. I knew that the bloodsucker wasn't going to wait to exterminate me. He wanted me dead, and every day it's extended is another day Elena would be feeding him information about me, and another day he would be gaining his strength.

"Jason, we need a set plan for when we're going to attack" I said, beginning to worry at the lack of planning we have done.

"I know. Here's what I'm thinking. Lure him out here so we have home court advantage. Threaten something that they both love, and then attack them both. For Elena, you can't exactly kill her the same way you kill the other one, but I have a handgun just in case she gets crafty." He said, amusing me with the brilliance he worked up in his plan.

"Sounds good. What's the bait gonna be?" I asked, beginning to wonder what was important enough to Elena to cause her to leave her hideout with her vampire and expose herself to us.

"That one is your part bro, I don't know Elena. You guys were the married ones, so is there anything she loves more than anything in the world?" He asked, emphasizing the word anything. I thought for a minute and realized that she would do anything for her family.

"Yeah, she has a niece that she would take a bullet for. She's always been a sucker for kids." I said, surprised at how devious and conniving I sounded.

"Good idea. So, we'll kidnap the kid, call Elena with the kid crying for her, and drag her out here. And the vampire will come too, seeing as he's totally in love with her and would never let her come alone. And that's when we attack." Jason said, finalizing the plan. I smiled in victory, knowing that the plan was fool proof.

"It'll be like taking candy from a baby" I said, causing a cackle to escape Jason's mouth, laughing at the ironic statement. I knew that the revenge would be sweet, and the satisfaction of destroying another vampire would be the cherry on top.

Elena POV:

I stared at them. Seven faces stared back at me, waiting for the anticipated speech everyone wanted to hear. I took a breath, and opened my mouth to speak, but no words came out. I didn't want to start this plan, only because I already knew the outcome, and none gave me much of a future.

Stefan cleared his throat from next to me, indicating that he would take over the role of filling everyone in on why they were summoned from all over the eastern seaboard.

"Thank you all for coming. I know that the message we sent you was urgent, and the matter is urgent, but it's also sensitive. It may take a little bit of time to fully relay the entire plan to everyone, but we both appreciate your participation immensely." He said, taking control of the room. I smiled, glad to know that one of us had a grip on reality. I squeezed the hand that was in his lap, and took another deep breath, this time prepared to speak.

"Hi guys. So, I really don't like to ask for favors, because I'm going to have to owe all of you. Big time. But this is really important, and I can't go in alone. You see-" I began, creating nervous glances at me, as if I was about to say I was terminally ill.

"I'm just gonna say everything, and you guys can ask me any questions you have after. So, as you all know, I was married to Ryan a few weeks ago. What none of you know is that it was an abusive relationship. He would- take advantage of me in several physically harming ways, and it was at the point where he was slowly killing me" I began, looking down at the floor to avoid the shocked stares I knew were directed at me.

"A few weeks ago after another attack, I decided that if I was going to die, I was going to do it to myself. And I stabbed and cut myself in an attempt to take my suffering away" I continued, making Bonnie cry. I glanced around the room to see all the faces torn with emotions of agony, pain, sorrow, guilt, and anger.

I decided to keep going, realizing I was no where near the end.

"As you know, I was not successful. And that was when Stefan came in. he told me that he had been checking up on me for the past year, but this time he found me lying on the kitchen floor dying, so he was the one that checked me into the hospital. After I found out that Ryan was not accepting the divorce papers I sent him, he began to threaten my life. I was scared, so I ran away with Stefan" I said with a broken tone. I was stopping in between sentences, not wanting to choke on my words.

"We stayed in low profile for a while, until Elijah found me. He kidnapped me and held me hostage, only agreeing to let me go if I killed Ryan because he holds the only weapon that can kill an original." I revealed, causing a gasp to escape Caroline's mouth. I smiled softly at the concern, knowing that I had already won most of them over.

"Stefan made a deal with him, saying that if he doesn't kill Ryan at the next chance he gets, Elijah would kill him instead. So Stefan and I began to prepare. We went over strategy, we stalked up on small weapons that were available, and started creating a plan. But there was one problem that entered the picture." I said, watching as everyone stared at me with wide eyes, while Stefan continued to hold onto my hand, squeezing it to give me the extra support I needed at this time.

"I found out that- the last time Ryan, uh, forced me to have sex, I was off the pill and he did not use protection." I said, skirting around the actual phrase I was too afraid to admit.

"Whoa whoa whoa. Youre telling us that you're pregnant with a rapist's baby?" Caroline said bluntly, making me realize that it was exactly what was happening.

"Yeah, at least I think so. I still haven't seen a doctor, and I'm really early on, but yeah." I said, trying to outweigh the non existent possibilities.

"So what do you need us to do?" Matt asked, always being the first one to catch a clue.

"I need you guys to help me- fight I guess. Stefan isn't enough because I can't exactly do high kicks or shoot a firearm due to the baby. I need to have backup so that we don't lose" I said, trying to make a joke about a dark situation.

"And you're okay with this Stefan?" Alaric asked, talking about the baby. Stefan intertwined his fingers with mine, causing a smile to sweep across my face.

"Of course I am. Elena and I have come to a decision that the baby _will_ have a father, and that father will be me" He asserted, oddly turning me on with his control. I smiled, and watched as Alaric accepted the fact that it was for the best. He was still a skeptic about Stefan considering he has left me once already.

"So, everyone, here's your out. I'm giving everyone an out. If you do not want to risk yourself, or don't have time, or just simply don't care, this is the time that you can leave and no hard feelings will be in act." I stated, waiting to see everyone walk out the door. To my dismay, everyone stayed, all with smug looks on their faces as if I was anticipating everyone to leave.

"Now that you all have made your decision, just know that we want to be completely ready before we take any actions. If that means daily practices, meetings to discuss strategy, or merely just keep in touch on the phone, we are all linked." I said, suddenly thinking about Jeremy and Sawyer.

"Jer can you come here for a second?" I asked, leading him to the opposite side of the hotel room.

"Jer, I know you didn't take the out, but you have a wife and a family to take care of. I know that your pride is important to you, but I don't want you to get hurt for your family- for my family. If you are desperate to be a part of the plan, you can do non violent stuff to ensure your safety" I said, feeling better about my epiphany.

"Thanks Elena, but trust me, I can take care of myself." He said, brooding just like Stefan used to.

I went to sleep that night with seven new allies, but yet, all I dreamed about was the nightmarish vision of Ryan. Yet somehow, I was able to say I was safe. Safe.

A/N: Hope you all enjoyed the chapter! I'll try and fit in another chapter soon! Don't forget to R and R if you want another one shot!

XOXOX- Maddie


	8. Icicles

Snow was falling. A winter sun was rising, casting a shimmery haze on the frozen landscape in front of the house. Icicles hung from the edges of the windowsill, catching the reflection of the light sky in the crystallized ice.

Four months had gone by and nothing had happened. I hated waiting in anticipation for everything to finally be over, but we were still here, waiting. A part of me liked to think that Ryan gave up and that he would just let me live on with my life. The other part of me knew that if I let it wait, Elijah would kill Stefan.

The last we spoke with Elijah was two months ago when he extended the deal to March 1st, leaving us with four months to find and kill Ryan. Two months has gone by since then, and we still don't even know his location. I tried not to focus on the what could be, and realized that it was only a matter of time until Ryan got restless and tried to find me. He knew exactly where I was.

I realized that as soon as this mess is finished, my life would still be in turmoil. Everything I ever worked for was in Mystic Falls. My life was in the house I shared with Ryan, and I knew that I could never go back there while he was still alive. I had barely left the house I had rented for a few months, only going back and forth to the grocery store and the doctors office, getting my routine check ups for the pregnancy. I was now almost six months pregnant and was completely incapable of doing much by myself. I constantly had people by my side whether it be Caroline or Anna. Even Damon came to check up on me a few times. Stefan came and went often, mostly meeting with people that had more information on killing vampire hunters. He was always remorseful about leaving, but I knew that he did it for me, so I always let him go.

Sadly, Stefan decided to put our relationship on the backburner until this mess was figured out, not wanting to rush into things just because he was taking care of me. He still acted like a husband though, constantly worrying about me, trying to make me as comfortable as possible. He never left without assigning someone a babysitting position for me, usually frustrating me although I understood his reasons.

Stefan had been gone for almost a whole month before he came to surprise me at the doctors office the day I found out the sex of the baby. It was a baby girl, making me ecstatic for the first time throughout the entire pregnancy. Stefan shed a tear, making me realize that he was as involved in this as I was.

That was two months ago. Today was Matt's turn to babysit having Stefan gone since last week. He walked through the door, turning when he saw me on the couch reading a book. He had a goofy grin on his face, something I always knew I could look forward to when he came.

"Morning 'Lena! Morning baby!" Matt greeted, addressing both the baby and myself. Everyone called the baby something different. Bonnie called her BB, Caroline called her Caroline Jr, Jeremy called her Sawyers cousin, Tyler called her 'it', Damon didn't address her at all, and Stefan called her a multitude of things, mostly consisting of beautiful and angel. Matt's "baby" was the most appropriate in my mind.

"Hey Matt. You know, the Bronco's are playing right now. Sure you don't want to go home and watch some Tebow action?" I bribed, knowing that it was his weakness.

"You know Elena, as much as I love Tebow, I value my life more, and if Stefan found out I left you here unsupervised I would probably be missing the arm I use to do the Tebow. So no, I'll just watch it right here from the comfort of this couch." He said, slapping the one piece of furniture I actually bought in this house. Everything else was brought in from someone elses house, usually from Stefan's extra large boarding house that had 15 guestrooms and no guests.

It was about 2:15pm when I realized I hadn't fed Matt all day, listening to his stomach growl as I read through my magazines. I got up and walked to the kitchen, opening the fridge to find enough ingredients to make him a grilled cheese, a favorite by most. I listened to the butter melt as Matt cheered on his team, turning around to grab a plate only to be scared out of my mind by Stefan standing at the counter watching me cook.

He smiled at me and held out his arms for a hug, bringing me into his embrace. I ran my fingers down his back and traced the familiar muscles that I always missed when he was gone. He kissed the top of my head before placing his hands on my stomach, kissing that as well.

"I missed you" He said, putting down the duffle bag from his grasp. I didn't want to let go of him, but Matt interrupted our reunion, shaking Stefan's hand firmly.

"Hey Matt, thanks so much for watching her today" Stefan said, glancing over Matt's shoulder to check the score.

"No problem, she cooks for me so it's all worth it in the end" He said sarcastically, knowing that I can only cook about two things, both being sandwiches. I chuckled and patted his hand, allowing him to pull mine and twirl me into him, raising an uproar of laughter from me, most likely from the amounts of fake pregnancy friendly caffeine I had been drinking.

After the game ended, Matt bid his farewell's promising to come over next week to watch the next game with me. I walked him to the door and watched him drive away, realizing that I probably enjoyed his company the most.

I walked back to the family room, eyeing Stefan who was submerged in his findings from his last trip.

"Hey, find anything?" I asked curiously, sitting on the back of the couch, reading over his shoulder.

"Not much, just some more speculation about the hidden wooden stake that can be used to kill a vampire hunter for good. No real findings." He admitted, too preoccupied to ask about my week.

I went upstairs, suddenly exhausted, crawling into the bed Stefan brought for me from his house. I liked the bed, but I didn't like the fact that he was never in it with me due to his travel and studying.

After about an hour Stefan walked into the room and sat down beside me to watch The Bachelor with me.

"I don't like the girl with the horse teeth" He said, breaking the silence. I chuckled slightly and agreed, desperate for any kind of conversation.

"So, I'm sorry I've been so preoccupied lately. I can tell it's effecting you and I'm going to try to stay home more. It's just that I'm so close to getting what we need that I'm afraid if I stop looking, things will only get worse." Stefan said truthfully. I smiled at his honesty and wrapped my arms around him from the back, bringing his head to my lips. I kissed him softly, translating 'I understand' through the language of kisses.

That night he slept next to me, wrapping his arms around me, allowing me a dreamless sleep, one that I had been wanting for a long time. I woke up alone though, finding a note on the pillow that read "Went down to where Alaric is staying to do some research! Big breakthrough last night! Love you both with all my heart, S."

I sighed in disappointment despite the good news the note brought. I realized about two weeks into this plan that I do not do bored well, and after being kept in the house for six months that it was time to go out for a little.

I showered slowly and got ready, weighing the consequences in my head. I decided that I would just go for a brief walk to Caroline's house that she shared with Matt, only being about 3/4ths of a mile away. I grabbed the cell phone Stefan had left me and placed in it my back pocket, walking outside into the rays of sunshine I missed so much.

I enjoyed the scenery, feeling the cool crisp air on my cheeks, watching the kids from down the street assemble a snow man. I walked past houses that had dripping icicles, melting into the walkways that were neatly shoveled. After about 5 minutes I noticed someone begin to walk behind me with a face concealed. Nervous, I began to pick up the pace, trying to walk as fast as I could without turning into a jog. The person behind me also picked up their pace, now only a few yards behind me. I realized that I was a good 5 minutes away from Caroline and Matt and decided that walking straight isn't the smartest idea if someone was following me. I quickly looked both ways across the street and crossed, heading back down the street towards the kids. After turning the corner I instantly regretted it, noticing that the kids were inside and not a person was in site. I looked back quickly and realized that the follower was no longer in the vicinity and I took a deep breath. I knew that a lot of physical exertion this late in the pregnancy was not good for the baby, so I picked up a leisurely pace, heading back home.

As I approached the house the mysterious stranger emerged from the corner of my eye and began running towards me at full speed. I screamed loudly, hoping that a neighbor would hear me, and began to sprint to the house, only to slip on a sheet of ice while going up the stairs. I blacked out for a few seconds, only to wake up to feel warm blood running down my face. I sat up nervously and felt the gash on my head, noticing that it would need at least a few stitches. When I tried to stand up a pair of hands helped me up, balancing me on my feet. When I turned to see who it was the same pair of hands capped their palm over my mouth, restricting me from screaming. The person was behind me, but I could tell it was a man because of the strong grasp I knew couldn't belong to a girl. I was forced up the stairs into my house and shoved to the ground, causing a nervous kick to come from the baby. I was crying now, scared that my baby was injured, afraid that if it was necessary for the baby to come out, two months early was far too likely to be impossible to deliver a healthy baby.

I was then shoved into what I realized was a closet, now with my hands and feet tied with a blindfold and tape over my mouth. It was no use trying to scream or kick, resorting me to sitting there silently as I tried to decipher who was on the other side of the door. I realized there was two sets of footsteps, signaling two people. I heard a voice that seemed familiar to me, but I couldn't think of where from due to my throbbing headache and kicking baby. The voices were muffled and the sounds of guns being loaded were loud, making me able to do nothing but pray that someone would come rescue me.

A few hours went by and I started to wonder if I was actually in my own house, suddenly regretting not putting anything in the hall closet to trigger my instinct on location. I kept hearing the same one voice, over and over signaling that I knew the person. I went over a thousand different people in my head, crossing them off of a mental list I had.

I then began to piece things together. The large dark figure with a concealed face, the fast running, the large hands, the efficient knot tying. It all fit together. I then heard a loud cackle from the other side of the room and realized exactly who I was sitting in the room with. The loud running man was Jason, Ryan's best friend, meaning that the silent one with the heavy footsteps was none other than Ryan himself.

A/N: OH! Cliffhangers! Sorry this took a while, I've suffered a bit of writers block. Fear not, the last episode was good enough to inspire me a little bit. "Crazy as it sounds, love like that never dies."

Please read/review! Let's try and get this story to 200 reviews!

XOXOX- M


	9. Blood

Stefan POV:

I ran. I felt it, sensed that something was wrong. We had a schedule. Every two hours she would text me, usually a heart or a smiley face. My screen has been blank for five hours. I ran, fast as I could, too worried to wait for the car to get there. I knew I was faster, so I ran.

I knew that it would be a bad idea to automatically barge into the house. Whoever was there most likely had loaded weapons ready to kill whoever walked through that door. I heard loud voices from inside, both not belonging to anyone I knew. I suddenly was overcome with a double sense of regret and relief, regretting ever leaving her here alone, but relieved that I had the instinct to come home.

I silently went around to the back of the house, first checking to ensure no traps were set up. I knew that the men I was dealing with were pretty well equipped, and I realized that all I had was a loaded handgun that I grabbed in a hurry. I knew it was entirely possible that I would not come out of this alive, but I knew that I have done enough living, and the baby she is carrying hasn't gotten to live yet. So, I did the only thing I knew how. I tried to rescue her.

Elena POV:

I felt my pulse rushing when I realized who it was. I knew from the moment I was attacked that it was him, but somehow the realness of the situation brought up frightening images and scenarios. I had no idea what was going to happen next. I felt the baby kick inside of me and I tried to rub and soothe it, not wanting for the baby to feel the stress I am experiencing. While rubbing my stomach I felt a weight in my back pocket as I flipped from one side to another, and realized that I had my cell phone with me.

I opened it and immediately went to the settings to turn the light down to practically dark so the florescent glare from the screen would not protrude through the door. I looked to see that I had no service, and attempted to find a spot where I could get some, only finding a small amount pressed up against the door. I knew my chances of getting rescued were slim, yet I still sent Stefan a text, hoping he would come and find me.

"Kidnapped by Ryan. Locked in closet. HELP" was all I said before I heard loud footsteps get closer to the door. I quickly shoved the phone into my bra, not wanting them to find it if they opened. I then decided to play hurt, lying down painfully on my back, smearing the blood from my forehead onto the floor and around my face to look like I was too hurt to hurt further.

My instincts were right when I thought someone was coming, because a few seconds later one of them ripped open the door, probably just checking to see that I was still there. I whimpered a little, trying to play up the injuries, but I got nothing but a painful kick in the side, sending disastrous kicks from the baby shooting through my body.

Stefan POV:

I heard a ping in my pocket. I was crouched behind a rose bush that desperately needed to be trimmed, offering a safe hiding spot for me to check my phone. I unlocked it to find a text message from Elena. My heart sank to the floor, realizing that one of them was currently walking to the closet door that Elena just warned me she was in. I stood up, now visible, quickly deciding my next move. I sped around to the door and crept behind the door hinge, now inside the house. The man opened the closet, revealing the whimpering sounds that tore my heart into pieces. I was about to make my move when I saw him kick her. She let out a cry of distress and I then was sent into a mad rage.

I had no tactic when I ambushed them. I went for the kicker first, realizing that he was the one hurting her. The first shot was easy considering they weren't expecting me. I hit him right in the lung, watching as the blood seeped out onto his clothes. He wasn't on the floor yet, now struggling to reach the table with the multiple vampire weapons. I shot another bullet straight into the other guys head, realizing that he was Ryan, watching as the impact of the blow shot him backwards. I knew they had a certain spell on them, so I decided that while they were down I would grab as many weapons as I could.

Bonnie had put a spell on me earlier in the day to insure I was safe, allowing me basic immunity to wood. I knew that the spell would wear off in about an hour, but I realized that was more than enough time to kill them.

I was able to take a loaded wooden hand gun and six wooden stakes before they got up. Ryan was in worse shape than the other guy, one eye completely red and bloodshot from the bullet and blood rushing down his face, dripping onto the floor. He held a vervain grenade in his hand and I turned my back as he released it. I was wearing a protective shirt underneath my clothes, but I did not have on my body suit, so the back of my neck and hands were burned. I decided to suck it up and allow my backside to sizzle under the strength of the vervain, just needing a few more shots to finish them off. I researched them enough to know that their skin was rather strong and their pain receptors were basically non existant, allowing them to go for long periods of time with extensive injuries.

"You just think you're such a hero, saving the girl you love" Ryan spat, slurring his words due to the non active left side of his face. He was pointing a buckshot at me, and I held a rifle loaded with wooden and lead bullets.

"I'm doing this for her, it has nothing to do with me" I replied forcedly, terrorized by even the thought that I was doing this for my ego.

I looked at his friend, on the ground nursing his wound. I shot three more bullets into him, most likely finishing him off. As soon as I did that I felt a bullet explode inside of me, sending shards of wood throughout my body. I shot him back, now hitting him in the back of his neck, lodging itself right into his spine. He dropped to the floor, now paralyzed and waited until I was standing over him.

"You selfish son of a bitch. Elena is everything anyone could ever ask for, and this is what you do to her? You treat her like a slave, use her for sex, get her _pregnant_ and then attempt to kill her and the person that's taking care of her? What the hell did she ever do to you?" I screamed, watching him slowly slip away.

"She loved a vampire- more than- me" He replied in a broken sentence, now dead on the floor, bleeding out everywhere. His friend was on his last few breaths, and I decided to let him die painfully.

I dropped my gun and ran to the closet to find Elena sitting in a curled up ball rocking back and forth. She had her head nuzzled into her stomach, trying to soothe the baby. She looked up at me frightened, and stood up and ran into my arms when I nodded, assuring her they were both dead. I held her there and kissed her long and hard, feeling the passion from so many years ago come rushing back for the first time.

I don't know how long we stood in the closet, kissing and holding each other, but suddenly I felt very weak.

"The spell" I muttered, realizing that it was wearing off.

"What do you mean?" She asked, holding onto my hand as I sat down on the floor.

"He- shot me with- buckshot, and Bonnie- put a spell on me to prevent- me from dying by wood. The spell only lasts for- a day, and it's almost been a whole day." I replied, finding it hard to breathe.

"I need to get it out of you, just tell me where it is and I'll get it" She said, emulating a scenario we were forced into so many years ago. She took a knife from the table to open me, picking out all of the pieces.

Her face went sheet white towards the end, and I instantly knew something was wrong.

"What's going on Elena?" I asked worriedly.

"Stefan, there is a piece puncturing your heart. What do I do?" She asked panicked. I looked at the watch on my wrist and saw that I had about three minutes before the spell wore off.

"Elena, you have to just pull it out and close me up. I only have- three minutes" I rushed, forcing her to retract the large shard of wood from my heart. She was crying a little bit, and I realized this was hard for her. I stroked her thumb as she stitched me up, receiving a small smile from her.

A few minutes later, I finished disposing of the bodies, walking into the house to find Elena on all fours scrubbing the floor from the blood.

"Elena, are you- okay?" I asked quietly. She just nodded, letting the tears pour down her face.

"Then what's wrong?" I asked, very confused.

"I- I haven't felt the baby kick since he kicked me in the side, and I'm just afraid" She answered, shrugging it off but silently sobbing.

"Elena, we're going to see a doctor right now. I'm grabbing your things" I said hurriedly, running upstairs to get her overnight bag. I looked into the mirror on the dresser quickly to find dry blood all over my face. I went to the sink in the bathroom, only to be interrupted by a thud downstairs. I instantly ran to see what it was, and yelled to find Elena on the ground passed out, bleeding all over the carpet.

A/N: Last weeks episode: SO GOOD! That reaction was exactly what I needed. Sorry for the sort of dark and twisty chapter, I just needed to get past the whole ex situation so we could get to the real stelena stuff (: read and review PLEASE!

XOXOX- M


	10. Tables

Somehow we always end up where we start. We end up in the same place we began, yet we've come so far to get there.

Walking down the familiar halls, going past the desks that held the chatty nurses who never questioned my intentions brought back too many memories to count. I've gone to this hospital since 1864 and yet every time I am scared to walk down the halls again and again.

This time is different. I'm not just scared. I'm petrified. Petrified for the future, for what I am going to do after this. If she doesn't survive.

I walked towards the room at the end of the hall, not wanting to face what was inside. I watched as busy doctors walked in and out with charts detailing the case that many seemed nervous about.

"Did you see the girl in 203?" many whispered, not aware that I was listening.

"Sure, the one that needed three blood transfusions, and is just hours from going into an emergency C-section due to the stress from the attack?" they said, acting as if they knew what happened.

They had no idea what had happened. I couldn't bring myself to admit it. That I let this happen. That I allowed the men to abuse her and the baby, while I stood on the other side, letting my ego get in the way.

I saw the main doctor walk down the hall and I stopped him before he walked in the room.

"Doc, how's she doing?" I asked nervously.

"Not great. She is in the clear for now, but we're going to need to get the baby out now. It's causing distress to her and we need to think of them both" he said, holding Elena's chart in his hand.

"Do whatever you need to do" I allowed, signing the consent form to take action if needed.

I took a deep breath and looked into the room to find no one lingering near her bedside. I walked in and felt my heart turn when she looked towards me and gave me a half smile, watching my eyes as I looked at the several needles going in and out of her porcelain skin.

"Hi" she said tiredly, making me smile with relief.

"Hi" I said back, walking towards her bed. I sat down in the chair next to her and took her hands in mine. She had an IV hooked up but she didn't seem to mind. I kissed her hands and dropped my head into her lap, allowing the tears to reach my face. She tried to stroke my hair, too weak to do much else.

"It could be worse. They could have broken my nose and I would have had to get a nose job and have a giant bandage on my face" She said lightly. I laughed, surprised at how much better that made me feel. I kissed her cheeks, making her smile.

"you're going to come out of this" I said, trying to reassure myself.

"Of course I am" she said supportively, allowing me to realize she was tired due to the tone of voice.

"i love you, Elena Gilbert. And I love this baby" I said, cradling her face in my palms.

"Stefan, I love you too. And baby loves you back, isn't that right?" She asked, cooing at her stomach. I smiled and kissed the top of her head as the doctor walked in.

"Alright Elena, it's time to bring baby into the world" Doctor Stevenson said, eyeing me to tell me it was time to go.

I smiled and winked at Elena, walking out of the room into the waiting room to stand by until they had news for me. I watched as they rolled Elena out of her room and into the elevator while I tried to wrap my head around the fact that I am about to become a dad, whether or not the genes are mine.

"Stefan!" I heard from the hallway, watching as Caroline, Matt, Alaric, Bonnie, Jeremy, Anna, and their daughter Sawyer walked into the room. I smiled and got up to greet everyone, not surprised to see Damon absent, understanding that it might be a bit hard for him.

"Thanks for coming guys" I said gratefully, receiving hugs from everyone. They all took their seats in the uncomfortable hospital chairs and talked amongst themselves for the time being. About two hours in Damon walked in, shocking everyone with his appearance.

"Damon, thanks for coming, I'm sure Elena will really appreciate it" I thanked, shaking his hand respectfully.

"Yeah well I heard there was a high school reunion going on in here and I couldn't miss it considering I was the life of those high school years anyways" He said arrogantly, making everyone smile none the less.

We began to chat with one another about the baby, placing bets on whether it would be a boy or a girl, trying to come up with names that Elena might like, and picking out colors for the baby's room.

"Mr. Salvatore?" A nurse asked, walking into the room.

I stood up and nodded, letting her know it was me. She gestured me outside of the room to talk and I followed, surprised to see her close the door.

"What's going on? How is she doing?" I asked anxiously, worried about Elena.

"Not well, she isn't responding to the pain killers so her heart rate is much faster than we wanted. Also, the incision we draw seems to close very quickly so reopening it over and over is stalling, and extra time is something we don't have. If we don't get the baby out in the next half hour, there is a very large chance it will suffocate and die due to the lack of blood and oxygen her body is creating." She said, casting worry all over me.

"I need to be in there with her" I demanded, trying to walk around her to get in there.

"That's not permitted Mr. Salvatore" the nurse said trying to convince me. I shook my head, and came up with an excuse to go in.

"I might have a way to calm her down. I always used to read her what I wrote in my journal when she got nervous or had bad dreams. I can try that now to see if it will lower her heart rate?" I asked suggestively, wanting nothing more than to help.

"I guess that would be alright. You have to suit up if you want to go in there, so put these on" She said, placing a scrubs outfit in my arms. I quickly changed and followed her into the operating room, seeing Elena with her arms stretched out on the table, with a large split over the uterus. It was more of a scar due to the unnatural healing possibilities we have. Tears welled up in my eyes and I quickly wiped them away to refrain from getting kicked out. I came to the head of Elena's table and cradled her head in my arms. I pulled out my diary and started at the beginning.

"Dear Diary, it's been a while. I don't know why I stopped writing. I guess it was a constant reminder of the life I want back. It's sometimes too hard to bear when I watch her with Ryan. I know they are unhappy and I know that Elena deserves so much better than that." I read, looking towards the monitor to see the heart rate drop by 1.

"Keep going, it's working" the nurse urged, letting me be the main talker.

"Dear Diary, I have to convince myself every day that I'm doing the right thing. That waiting for the right moment to reveal myself to her and Ryan is what is best. I constantly feel like the longer I wait, the worse everything gets yet I'm sitting here, watching as the girl I once loved is getting treated no better than a slave. So the question is, do I sit here and let it happen, or do I fight for her?" I read, afraid to look at the table.

"Keep going Mr. Salvatore, it's working" The nurse encouraged, nudging my shoulder from the side.

"Dear Diary, Day's are getting harder. I have been watching this happen for 63 days and nothing is better. She is at the sink, washing dishes with a solemn look on her face, as if she was thinking about another life. A life I dream about all the time. I dream that I never would have given myself over to Klaus, which never would have made me turn off my emotions, which never would have let myself get to a point that Elena decided she couldn't love me anymore. We would be together in a large house, maybe with a swimming pool and a fence I would have slaved over for a summer. We would either have kids or pets, no matter what always busy. We would have friends over for dinner on Sunday nights and would drive carpool to school. A normal family was my dream. And it was also my nightmare" I recited, pausing inbetween thoughts.

The doctors thanked me for helping and dismissed me back into the waiting room, reassuring me that her heart rate was normal again and that the baby should be out soon. Reluctantly I agreed, pacing back and forth for three more hours until I heard the sound that touched my soul. The cry of a baby only seconds old.

The nurse told me it was a girl, and that Elena should be waking up from the coma any time now.

It's been three days and nothing has happened. I brought our baby girl home, and felt a large hole in the house where Elena should be. I sat in the hospital for nine hours every day. From the moment they allowed visitors to the last second of the day, I was there with out baby girl.

"Elena, you need to wake up. You've survived too much, it's a bad track record to give up so young" I said on the verge of tears, crying into her hands that were always there.

"There's a whole bunch of people that are waiting to see you, but I can only think of one that needs you. It's our daughter, Elena. She needs a mom to explain to her the differences between pink and magenta, and how to French braid. All I'm good for is to teach football and sibling rivalry." I joked half heartedly, smiling at myself.

"Don't- teach her- that" she said, causing me to whip my head around to see if it was really true. She was fluttering her chocolate brown eyelashes and saw the tragedies we were trying to sell. I let out a relieved sigh and muttered "Oh thank god" into her hair. I kissed her softly, relieved it would not be for the last time.

"You scared me" I said, now kissing every finger on her hands. She smiled softly and looked around, realizing that she no longer had a baby in her stomach.

"Baby?" She asked weakly. I smiled and brushed her hair with my palm, nodding my head to give her the thumbs up.

"She's beautiful Elena. She looks just like you." I said, letting her know it was a girl. She smiled as wide as I've ever seen and watched as a beautiful tear ran down her face. I caught it, holding her next to my chest.

"She needs a name" I reminded, letting her cry happily.

"It's going to be Summer. Like my mom and aunt Jenna's maiden name. Summer Carolie." She said, smiling as she pictured her baby girl.

"Carolie?" I asked, wondering how to say it.

"Pronounced Cah-Rohl-lee. Like Caroline and Bonnie put together" She said, leaning her head on my shoulder.

"It's perfect" I said, holding her hand. The nurse approached the room and brought in Summer and handed her straight to me to put into Elena's arms. She cradled her instantly as if her arms were made for her and was instantly infused and natural with her.

"Look, she just opened her eyes!" Elena exclaimed, looking at the large eyes staring straight at us. I took a closer look to see a piercing green looking back at me, taking in everything.

"Elena what color eyes did Ryan have?" I asked curiously.

"Brown. That's why I am confused. We both had brown eyes" She stated, now with a puzzled look on her face.

I contemplated this for a while, wondering where in the Gilbert family line the green eyed gene comes from considering I've known every gilbert since I was born. Not a singe one had green eyes.

"Elena, this is going to hurt you a ittle more than I'm up for but I need to know. Am I the father?"

A/N: Cliffhanger! Thank you all for your kind reviews! When I hit 100 reviews I promise to preview my newest installment. Can't wait for Thursday! R&R please!

XOXOXOOXO- M


	11. Coward

A wise man once said, "A half truth is the most cowardly of lies". Although at times it is necessary to tell a white lie, a half truth is something that goes undetected, and ends up showing up at the wrong time.

It was the wrong time for this to happen. For Elena, someone I have risked my life for countless times, someone who I waited half a decade for, someone who I trusted to tell me something like this. I didn't end up giving her the expression she deserved.

"Elena, am I the father?" I asked, suddenly overcome with impatience and frustration.

"Stefan, it was a bad time and you were talking about waiting until we killed Ryan, and that one time-" She said, having me cut her off at the end. I muttered something along the lines of "I need time to think" and walked out of the room into the hallway and collapsed on a chair down the hall from the room. I put my head in my hands and just sat there. I tried to wash away all thoughts, trying to clear my head to rationalize what I just did.

Nothing could justify that storming out of the room the second Elena began to open up to me was right. That it was the noble thing I promised I would give to her for the rest of her life. I just don't know anything about this. About the fact that vampires can pro create despite all of the efforts and statistics that have proven otherwise. The only circumstances have been cross breeds which have one vampire parent and a human parent. The only problem was, Elena is a vampire, and I am a vampire.

Nothing makes sense to me anymore. I keep thinking back to a time when everything was simple for us. I try and find a memory that didn't involve life threatening situations, or was because of us escaping harms way. I realized early on in the search that the only memories I have of us ever truly happy without the threat of tomb vampires, crazy ex girl friends, werewolves, or original vampire brothers was before she knew I was a vampire. In the two weeks before she found out, things were easy. Yet, in some way, they weren't. Because of the difficulty of hiding who I am, I constantly made things awkward and ended up sounding rude when trying to cover up my identity.

I still had my head in my hands when someone tapped me on the shoulder. I looked up to see Damon standing over me with his arms crossed, smirking at the shame I must be sulking in.

"You look like you just got your balls ripped out from you" He said, knocking my head off of my hands.

"Yeah well something just came up." I replied blandly, not sitting well with Damon.

"Brother. She obviously didn't just say like oh why don't we go get pizza when I get out of here" He said, stating the obvious. I shook my head and looked down, not wanting to admit to him what I just did.

"Well if you're not going to tell me, you might as well go apologize for whatever the hell you just screwed up because she's out of here in a few days, and if you continue on with this dick persona you might as well just let her go now." He lectured, making me think none the less.

"I- I think I'm Summer's dad" I said for the first time out loud. He looked at me blankly for a second and snapped back to reality where he patted me on the shoulder.

"What's the problem with that? Now you guys can have that annoying family you were going to have anyways, now it's actually yours and not her dead bastard husbands kid" he said truly.

I thought about it for a few minutes after Damon left. The fact that at one point we actually talked about our future together. How we would get married young, and move away from Mystic Falls, possibly in a small town on the east coast like in North Carolina or something. We would wait a few years to mature, and then possibly look into adopting a baby and raise him or her together. We never really talked about the aging issue, probably just waiting until it came up. We had a life together. Now, Elena is out of her abusive relationship, Klaus is dead, and Elena has a baby in her arms that may or may not be ours together, something we only could have dreamed of happening back when we had a plan.

I took a deep breath and walked back to the door of the room, watching as she cooed to Summer, stroking her hair and taking pictures with her iphone. I smiled and walked through the door, resuming my position at her bedside.

"Elena" I said at the same time she said "Stefan".

"No, Stefan, let me talk first. Summer is not your obligation. She is mine, and I never intended on forcing you into my life. You're just always saving me and sometimes it's nice to feel protected. I don't know whether or not Summer is yours, but she's mine. And I want to be yours. So it's up to you now. If you choose me, you choose her."She stated firmly, looking into my eyes with her chocolate brown gaze.

"Elena, I want to be in Summer's life. I want us to be together. It's just hard for me to take ini considering if she is mine, it's physically impossible for vampires to procreate. It defies the laws of nature that the first witch ever set up. And Summer looking that much like me is almost scary for me. I want nothing more than to be with you." I spilled, taking Summer's foot and kissing her toes.

Silence filled the room, allowing me time to pack up Elena's things considering she is being discharged tomorrow.

After a few hours of me running around greeting out of town family members and driving to the boarding house to get it ready for Elena and Summer to come home. Elena and I agreed to live together, which came with specifications.

After being discharged, I drove Elena to her favorite coffee shop to get her her only vice- coffee. I gave her a tour of the new wing of the boarding house that was not in use that I decided to utilize for the baby.

I blindfolded her to enhance the fun and allowed her to open her eyes after she was in the room. When I showed her the nursery I built for Summer Elena cried and kissed me passionately, promising that she would finish the task as soon as we got a spare moment to use.

That night Elena and I laid in bed with Summer in between us, playing footsy under the covers. She had a worried look on her face, completely different than my blissful smile.

"What's going on baby" I asked worriedly.

"Stefan, I've kept a really big secret for a long time and I didn't know how to tell you. When I told you I was a vampire I-…." She said, breaking off her sentence.

"So?" I asked again, afraid of the response I was about to hear.

"So… I'm not actually a vampire." Elena said.

A/N: sorry for the delayed update, NO TIME! Soooo much school! TVD was amazing tonight! Perfect amounts brotherly love and stelena recovery. Keep the reviews coming please!


	12. Deception

A/N: thank you so much for all the kind reviews. Although I don't mention it every chapter, your support and enthusiasm is what keeps me writing. I'm sticking to my promise! I said that once I hit 100 reviews I will put a one shot out with what you guys want. So in your next reviews, let me know what you want me to write about! I'm up for anything! Love you all, xox.

Deception. It's the most confusing of lies. Someone can deceive you for your entire life and you wouldn't even know. There could be some truth in the deception, or it could be a complete and utter lie.

"What are you?" I asked demandingly. Even in the seriousness of the situation, I couldn't help but notice the role reversal Elena and I have taken recently. I thought back to that day that she showed up on my porch, demanding to know what I was. It seemed like ions ago.

"Stefan, it's a really long story that is impossible to tell like this right now" She said, pointing out the situation of us together in bed with a sleeping Summer in between us.

I got up out of bed carefully, not wanting to wake the baby, and opened the door that led to the back porch overlooking the mass backyard area that belonged to the boarding house. I thought to myself that I haven't been back there since I first moved in here almost 70 years ago.

I heard footsteps behind me and felt Elena's hand on my shoulder, creating an uncomfortable force that I was not welcome to.

"Stefan, please let me explain" She begged, still talking to the back of me.

I turned to face her and shook my head at the disbelief I had washing over me.

"Fine Elena, go ahead" I said harshly, realizing that she was innocent until proven guilty.

"Okay, well let me start off by saying I didn't actually lie to you. I was a vampire for a while" She said, making me confused.

"What do you mean for a while?" I asked, not understanding.

"Well, I sort of made a deal a while back that I never told you about" She said, looking down guiltily.

"What the hell Elena? With who?" I demanded, frightening her at the rage in my voice.

"Elijah. I told him that if he could get someone to turn me into a vampire for three years I would sacrifice myself for the ritual" She said, bringing me back to the darkest period of our lives.

"So you were a vampire temporarily?" I asked tentatively.

"Yes. I knew that if I wasn't being turned into a vampire after the ritual that I would die, so Elijah had one of his witches find a spell that was able to grant me temporary vampireness. Which explains why I was able to have Summer. Cross breeds are much more common now a days" She refuted, allowing me to hear her side of the story.

I stood there, trying to soak in the information she just gave me. Despite my doubts, I realized that she didn't heal quickly, she hasn't had to drink blood the entire time I've been with her, and she was able to have a child.

"Why didn't you tell me? I could have fed you my blood so you could have healed quicker" I said stammering, trying to understand her motives.

She looked back at me lovingly, watching as her eyes filled up with tears that I was not ready to handle.

"Because I didn't want you to leave me again." She said, now crying. I took her hand and stroked her knuckles, not understanding her motives.

"Why would you think I would leave you if you were human?" I asked confused.

"Because you wouldn't want a baby with me if you knew I wasn't a vampire. You knew that the childbirth portion of the curse is near impossible with plenty of room for mistakes and injuries. Please don't be angry" She pleaded, now wrapping her arms around my waist, leaning her head against my chest.

I heard Summer cry suddenly and ran to her aid, noticing that she just needed to be fed. I picked her up gently and kissed her head before tending to her needs, watching Elena watch me.

"I'm done fighting with you, Elena. The reason I've stuck around this long is because I want to have the same things we used to have a while ago. But I'm done with the half truths. If we're going to make this work, I need full and complete honestly with us. I give you my word that nothing can make me stop loving you. So please, just be upfront with me whatever you're trying so hard to hide" I pleaded, still rocking Summer to get her to sleep. Elena stared at me with tears in her eyes, covering her mouth to stifle the sobs.

"Fine Stefan. The honest truth is I'm afraid of you. I'm afraid that once again you're going to leave me here alone. That someone more important will come along and you'll realize that I trapped you, just like I did five years ago" She admitted, sitting down on the stool below. I took a deep breath and gently placed Summer back in her crib and went to Elena's side, cradling her. I kissed her head and inhaled the smell of vanilla I always loved.

"Elena. I will never ever leave you again. I left the first time because I wasn't strong enough to keep away from the urges, and I had to help Damon. But now I owe him nothing, and I owe you the world. You are the only thing that has ever kept me from giving up completely. Even when I turned off my emotions you managed to turn them back on every time you were in my presence. Because when two people love each other the way we love, there is no separation we can't handle. But trust me when I tell you I'm here forever." I vowed, leaning in for a long tender kiss. She blinked, allowing her long eyelashes to bat against my face. I smiled and kissed her again, this time more passionately. She smiled back and quietly stood up, taking my face in her palms. We resumed the fierce kisses, returning to each other like nothing happened. She led me to the bedroom, taking off my shirt as I took off hers. I saw the fresh scar on the lower part of her stomach that was healing and kissed it as she gave herself to me. For the first time in months we became whole again, united as one for a while.

I awoke the next morning with her by my side, Summer sleeping softly in the bassinet beside the bed. I remembered rolling her in here once we finished last night, then sleeping next to Elena, alternating kissing her back and neck until she fell asleep. I looked to see the covers twisted on her side, chuckling at the fact that it always ended up that way. I got up and picked a sleeping Summer up, watching as she stirred slightly and resumed her sleep in my arms. I climbed back into bed and felt Elena snuggle up to my face. I kissed her softly and watched as she smiled and fluttered her eyes open, surprised to see Summer there too.

"Good morning" She greeted, kissing me and then kissing Summer.

"Good morning sunshine. Sleep well?" I asked lightly, not wanting to wake her up.

"Better than I have in ages. How is she?" She asked eagerly, stroking the top of her head.

"She's good. How's her mommy?" I asked, watching as her smile danced around her face.

"Stefan I have an honest request from you and I don't want you to take it the wrong way" She said, turning the subject drastically.

"What's wrong?" I asked nervously, not wanting to ruin the bliss I was just living in.

"Nothing's wrong. I was just thinking" She said. I placed Summer back into her bassinet and jumped back in bed, kissing Elena once more.

We kept at it after we rolled Summer back into the nursery and turning on the baby monitor, not being able to separate from each others grasp. In between breathless kisses, Elena moaned slightly.

"Turn me."

A/N: Thanks for reading! Don't forget to R/R and make sure to suggest the kind of one shot you think I should write when I hit my 100 review! My favorite idea wins, and the person that comes up with it gets the story dedicated to them! REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW!

XOXOX- M


	13. 100 REVIEW POLL!

Hi everyone! I hit my 100th review! That means I'm doing a one shot series (5 chapters) dedicated to my fans! I promised that it would be fan picked but because no one suggested anything I'm going to give a few options and have you guys choose! Here are the options:

Stelena in a fairytale. Prince Stefan, the kind and noble gentleman runs into Elena, a merchant from the town. Prince Stefan is expected to wed in the next three months, and he realizes that instead of marrying the wealthy and gorgeous Rebekah as planned, that Elena might be worth more than a second look.

Stelena in AU where both are human. Stefan is a grade A douche bag, and Elena is the shy and caring girl that had a gift for playing piano. When Stefan signs up to play piano for the upcoming school play just to impress popular girl Katherine and enlists for Elena's help, he realizes that maybe shy and caring is exactly what he wants.

Stelena in 10 years. How exactly did things play out? Did Elena get turned into a vampire? Did they ever beat the Originals? Did Elena choose Damon or Stefan?

Stelena run away. Throughout the battle with the Originals, Stefan kidnaps Elena and takes her to a place that he promised he would share with the one person he knew he could trust. Despite the impending drama that the couple have been facing, are they able to put aside the difficulties and talk out their issues?

Alright! Please vote either A, B, C, or D! Shoot me a review if you want a chance to say! The voting closes on Wednesday! Please only vote once! And don't forget to review the latest chapter in It's All In Your Head!

XOXOX and happy 100 reviews!- M


	14. An Unheard Word

An unheard word. Something that happens so often in our daily lives that half the time we say "what?" out of habit because so many things are muttered so quickly that it's difficult to make out what was intended to be said.

This phrase did not go unheard. It was not muttered, and "what?" was not said after. This phrase was out in the open and loud. Loud enough that my brain triggered a series of questions the second she said it.

I pretended that I didn't hear it. That the phrase, "turn me" wasn't anything but a misheard word. Many times people hear what they want to hear if they want it bad enough. I guess that I want Elena to be a vampire so badly that it was coming up in my very personal life.

Two weeks went by and nothing was spoken about it. Elena adjusted to life with Summer, constantly tending to her needs. I tried to stay home and help as much as I could, but I had to also support us somehow.

"I still don't understand why you're the one that has to go to work and make us money. Don't you have like a billion dollars tucked away somewhere?" She asked the day I told her I had to start working.

"The small fortune I've acquired over the past years was reduced due to several things, but mostly being the credit card fraud that my own brother committed in my name." I answered, watching as her eyes shifted to the floor.

"Well that's not good." She said softly. I smiled at her answer and pulled her in for a kiss before leaving. She smiled as I left and watched me from the porch with Summer as I drove away.

All I could think about was the two words. I so desperately wanted to hear them, but I was so afraid that she wouldn't transition well. And now with Summer, we're at a crossroads too.

I always thought that the guys in movies who had self contemplating thoughts and an inner monologue were corny and annoying, yet lately that's all I've been doing. Apparently talking to myself rather than talking to Elena is more effective.

I heard my cell phone ring and looked at the caller id to see Caroline on the other line.

"Hello?" I answered, not really in the mood to discuss my recent happenings with Caroline.

"Stefan Salvatore, where have you been?" She asked, making her voice higher at the end of the sentence. I grinned slightly and answered, telling her that I was at home with Elena and Summer.

"That doesn't mean you can't pick up a phone once in a while" She demanded, making me chuckle at her ignorance.

"Car, I have a lot going on right now and I didn't think to call. I'm sorry" I offered, listening to the sound of a distant sports game on television in the other line.

"It's fine, just update me!" She exclaimed, most likely sitting down at her table with a cup of coffee and this weeks issue of People as she did every Sunday morning.

"Well, can I call you back with that information?" I asked, realizing that I should talk to Elena before I went gossiping to her best friend.

"Sure, just don't forget me now that you got everything you wished for" She said, causing me to think even after we hung up. Everything was an understatement. I knew that I had anything I ever wanted, and it was all wrapped up in Elena. The only thing in the whole world I was scared of was losing her, which explains why I heard her ask me to turn her. It was a hallucination.

I drove down the familiar road to the boarding house and saw Elena and Summer through the window at the top of the stairs. I parked the car and walked in, realizing that this was the kind of life I thrived for. It felt so human to go to work, come home to the woman I love and our child, and to have no threats hanging over our head. Yet somehow, even the most human situation is interrupted with the fact that I'm a vampire and she's not. It will never go away.

I walked into the doorway and smelled something burning. I sprinted to the kitchen across the house and saw Elena juggling Summer in one arm and stirring pasta with the other. I chuckled slightly and came up behind her, taking the remnants of the garlic bread out of the oven while kissing her neck.

"Stefan, I'm sorry! I just wanted to do something nice for you since you worked all day" She said apologetically, facing me with spaghetti sauce on her forehead. I laughed and wiped it away as she slightly pouted at her failed attempt.

"You are nice enough just to come home to Elena, you don't have to cook for me too. You're already handling Summer all day, the least I can do is cook for you" I responded, letting her sit down with Summer.

"You know what Mr. Salvatore. I think we have this whole living together thing down pretty well" She said lightly, nursing Summer.

"You make it easy" I replied, finishing the pasta and tossing it with the sauce. I turned on the other burner and threw some onions and mushrooms from the fridge into a sauté pan for the sauce. I watched as she cooed to Summer, kissing her forehead every chance she got. I smiled while watching her, realizing that if I could be frozen in this moment, I would be overwhelmingly happy.

We ate our dinner through Summer crying, and put her down finally at 2am after 6 hours of hysterics.

We both collapsed onto the bed and shut our eyes, exhausted.

I turned to her and watched as she got comfortable in bed. She opened her eyes and saw me staring at her, turning her body to face mine.

I knew that I had to ask her eventually, but was afraid that this was too soon. Yet my mouth still opened despite my inner monologue.

"Elena, I need to ask you something, and I don't want you to take it the wrong way" I opened, using a prelude to catch her attention.

"Okay, what's wrong?" She asked timidly.

"Nothing, nothing. It's just… Remember that night that we slept together when we first brought Summer home?" I asked, hoping she would remember.

"Of course" She said shakily, as if it were bad that she remembered.

"Well, I don't know if I imagined this, or if I heard something wrong, but I just need to clarify" I said, watching her nod at me when I told her I needed clarity.

"Did you ask me to turn you?" I asked bluntly, watching as her face turned sheet white.

"Uhm. Stefan," She began, making me think that I really did just imagine it, creating a pit in my stomach.

"No Elena, it's fine if you didn't. I just really want to know if I actually did make it up" I clarified, suddenly embarrassed.

"Stefan, I did ask you to turn me" She replied, making me sit up straight. She soon after joined my position and just sat there for 15 minutes.

"Are you serious?" I asked finally, hoping that I wasn't making it seem like I didn't want her to be a vampire.

"Yeah. I mean, I guess it's sort of necessary now. You and I are one, Stefan. I can't live without you." She said. I smiled and kissed her passionately, excited that she finally was ready. We heard a cry from Summer and broke our position but still locked eyes as I got up to tend to Summer. I walked over to her crib and picked her up, rocking her back and forth. She eventually mellowed out, only to have her woken up by my cell phone blasting.

"Hello?" I asked quietly. The other line spoke, and soon I knew that the non threatening life we had was soon to be over.

A/N: Thank you to everyone that reviewed for the poll! I urge you all to check out the Kidnapped series! Look for a new chapter this week! Paley fest is in 6 days! Can't wait to see the episode 5 days early AND meet the cast for the first time! Read/ Review please!


	15. Statue

A/N: Hi lovelies! Sorry for the late update, but I have another story going on at the same time so I alternate! Paleyfest was AMAZING! Cried throughout the entire episode, cried when Paul got on stage, cried when he touched my hand and signed my book, and then had Kat sign an email she sent me, making her get down on her knees in front of me, cradle my face and wipe my tears as she told me how much she loved me and how she read my email to the entire cast and everyone though it was adorable, and how she couldn't believe I was there. The climax of my life to say the least. Anyways, here's the next chapter! As always, please review! I'm hoping to get to 200 reviews before I finish the story!

Introductions of books always bothered me. In Shakespeare's books, the fate of the characters was revealed in the first few pages. I've always preferred a long story line with a surprise ending. That way I won't have to dwell on the thought that the main character dies by the end of the book, despite him or her being in love with the other main character. I'm a big fan of jumping right in.

I sometimes wonder about my own life. Whether or not I ever had an introduction chapter, or if I just jumped right into the details. I thought about Elena and I, and whether or not we jumped in together.

She just laid there. Motionless, breathless, like a marble statue, idling in a museum of insufficient art surrounding the masterpiece. I couldn't believe my eyes. I must have looked at this face a thousand times since that night in 1864 when I saw it for the last time, but there it was, right in front of me, dying from a lack of oxygen. I quickly gave the mysterious face CPR, trying my hardest to keep focused on keeping her alive. She wasn't responding, and I needed answers. I fed her my blood, but just a few drops. It instantly brought the color back to her lifeless face, answering my question of whether or not this girl that I just saved from drowning was actually Katherine Pierce, the woman I thought I fell in love with so many years ago. She wasn't, because Katherine was a vampire, and this woman was a human.

I dropped her off at the emergency room and fled, needing to do research as soon as possible. It couldn't be her. I dug up as much information as I could, but still was not able to rationalize the situation. Katherine Pierce died in 1864, along with 27 other vampires. It was impossible.

That night I checked in on her as soon as she fell asleep. I compelled the guards to tell me her name, and they revealed she was Elena Gilbert, age 17. I felt a pit in my stomach, realizing that she just lost her parents at age 17.

It didn't stop me from finding out anything I could about Elena Gilbert. I found out she was adopted by Miranda and Grayson Gilbert at birth, was a member of the founding families, attended Mystic Falls High as a Junior, took AP US History, French, Honors English, Physics, and Statistics, was a member of the cheerleading squad, and has a brother named Jeremy.

I watched her relentlessly. I couldn't fit everything together, yet I somehow became so intrigued with Elena that I couldn't leave. I had to know her, despite the danger of her finding out my secret. And it was worth the effort, because she ended up being the woman I had been waiting for since before I could remember.

"Stefan it's me. I need you to come pick me up right now in Atlanta" said the ominous voice on the other line. Despite their voices being identical, I could pick out whose was whose just by the sentence structure.

"Go to hell" I said while I hung up the phone. Elena shifted in bed with Summer, shooting a look in my direction. I put the phone back on the nightstand and walked out of the room, frustrated at the situation.

I heard Elena place Summer in her crib and close the door behind her, placing a hand on my back.

"Who was that, Stefan?" She asked softly, trying not to wake up the baby.

"Don't worry about it, just go back to sleep" I urged, opening the door for her. She shook her head and walked down the stairs while carrying a baby monitor. I followed her, making sure to shut the door to the nursery.

I walked to the kitchen and watched as she made some more formula for Summer. She was obviously mad about something, so I walked around to her back and kissed her neck.

"You said no more secrets Stefan. You promised. And now here we are again, one of the first nights home with Summer and you're already withholding information from me" She stated, grimacing at my touch.

"Katherine. It was Katherine asking me to pick her up in Atlanta right now" I shared unwillingly, not wanting to drag her into more drama.

"That's it?" She asked softly.

"That's it." I returned, walking over to her. I wrapped her around in a large hug and kissed her head as she closed her eyes. I took the formula from her and also took the baby monitor.

"Go get some sleep. I'll be on Summer duty tonight. Plus, vampires don't need as much sleep as brand new mothers" I offered, watching as she lightly laughed at my statement.

"Can I at least have the monitor? It makes me feel better about sleeping on the job" she pleaded, watching as I handed it to her. She smiled, kissed me, and walked across the hall to the guest room.

The next morning I was awoken by the sound of Summer wailing, making me groggily rush to the nursery where she slept. I walked in her room to see her red faced, screaming as loud as she could. I picked her up immediately and rocked her continuously, trying my best to calm her before Elena awoke.

I was singing her a lullaby when Elena walked in the nursery, pausing in the doorway to let me finish. She smiled widely, walking over to the chair I was in, picking Summer up only to sit down in my lap with Summer already in hers.

"This could be our Christmas card this year" I joked, thinking about the irony of a couple like us sending Christmas cards around the neighborhood.

My phone began to ring again, forcing Elena and Summer up so I could reach in my pocket to grab it.

"Hello?" I asked, listening to a silent line.

"Thanks for all the help last night Stefan" Katherine greeted as my doorbell rang. I walked while listening to her highlight why it was so imperative that I be there, pausing only when she greeted me in person on my doorstep.

She hung up the phone and leaned against the door frame, waiting to be invited in.

"Hey Stefan, wanna invite me in?" She asked flirtaciously.

"No way in hell am I ever going to invite you into my home that my daughter lives" I spat, disgusted by the proposition.

"Oh well that's too bad, I guess I'll just have to find another way in" She said mysteriously, walking away without a fight. Elena came up behind me as soon as Katherine was off the property. She slipped her hand through mine and led me upstairs to our bedroom. She sat down on the window sill she always used to read at and watched the outside world.

"It's nothing Elena, she just wont stop" I said, not realizing how much it sounded like an excuse.

As soon as we thought Katherine had left the process, she turned right back around. Her glare scorned my soul, but when I saw Bonnie talking to Katherine in a friendly tone, I knew that nothing good could come from speaking to Katherine.


	16. Compelled

A/N: Wow.. talk about writers block! I keep trying to come up with new twists every chapter, but my god it's hard to do original stuff now! I try my best, so reviews help motivate me! Also, look for a one tree hill story coming out soon. After the series finale, I'm starting a fic about what comes after the finale to try and keep it alive! Anyways, hope you enjoy this chapter! Don't forget to shoot me ideas/ questions on twitter at madisonrosee!

It still gets to me that Elena and Katherine are identical to each other. That when Katherine's hair is straight, and she's wearing normal clothes, I sometimes have difficulties recognizing who is who.

Today, Katherine has her hair straight down in a middle part wearing dark wash flare jeans and a flannel. It's the kind of day where if I didn't already know that Elena was inside with Summer I would think it was her.

"What do you want Katherine?" I demanded, not wanting to play her game today.

"Not even a hello, nice to see you. What happened to the gentleman I loved in 1864?" She asked dramatically. I found myself rolling me eyes at her, disgusted by her lack of tact.

"He was compelled, remember? This is the real me telling you to get off of my property and to leave Bonnie alone" I said sternly. She raised her eyebrows and glanced at Bonnie knowingly, turning her body to face me.

"Actually, that's why we're here Stefan. Would you care to invite me in?" Katherine mused, forcing her annoying charm on me. I looked at Bonnie who looked uncomfortable, nodding at the notion of letting her in.

"Why can't we talk out here Katherine?" I asked, not trusting her.

"Because, there are top secret things we have to discuss, and I don't want to be out in the open where any ears can here." She said knowingly.

"Fine. Come in." I said rudely. I really did not trust Katherine, but I knew that she wouldn't try anything because there were still originals out there that would be happy to see her dead.

They walked into the house, taking in the décor and furnishings we added.

"How quaint" Katherine said sarcastically. I watched her run her fingers over the tapestries and pictures on the walls, as if she was creating a memory to remember forever.

"Okay, you're inside. What do you want?" I demanded, following her to the sitting room.

"Where's Elena? Thought she was attached at the hip with you" Katherine said loudly, saying Elena's name long and annunciated like EE-lay-nah. It bothered me to no ends.

"Upstairs with Summer. Get on with it Katherine, I really don't want your poisonous personality infecting my home" I shot, making her smile.

"Now now, no need to be rude" She said, crossing her legs. She sat up straight and leaned her chin into the palm of her hand, staring at me intensely.

"Remember that douche bag Jason?" She asked, keeping her eyes fixed on me.

"Yeah, why?" I asked shortly. I really wasn't in the mood to waste precious time.

"I saw him the other day at the hospital. I went to get more blood bags, so of course I did my usual. Stop in, say my hellos, compel the nurses that keep count of the blood, take what I need and go. But yesterday, when I went to the room, he was in there. He stared at me, and then fricken vampire sped out, leaving a Jason shaped mark in the door. " She said. I found it hard to believe, considering he was killed by me with no vampire blood in his system. I must have been thinking for a while because Bonnie finally spoke up, startling me.

"Stefan, do you remember who took care of the bodies?" Bonnie asked quietly. I thought hard about it and realized that I don't remember who took care of it. In fact, I don't think I arranged for anyone to get rid of them.

"I didn't. they were just gone when I got back, and I was too busy with Summer and Elena to realize. What if they had someone else on their side with the purpose of coming in to save them with vampire blood?" I asked nervously.

"That's what I'm thinking. Because I remember guys that look like that. And despite his weird killing habits, he was extremely attractive" She said insensitively.

"So possibly, a man that was once after Elena, who I thought I killed, who saw me kill him, may be alive again, and now much harder to kill?" I asked, almost rhetorically. I knew the answer, but Katherine answering in her sarcastic voice made it harder to swallow.

"Duh."

I watched Katherine and Bonnie leave, driving off in two different cars. I sighed and stepped up the steps, sitting down with my head in my hands. I thought that we were finally past the drama and threats, but somehow nothing ever goes right.

After sitting on the steps for what felt like hours I heard footsteps behind me. I turned around to see Elena walking out from behind the red door with Summer in her arms. I turned back around and waited for her to join me, accepting the comforting kiss from her.

"Dare I ask what that was about?" She asked instinctively. I shook my head, completely in shock. I turned my head to her and looked into her deep green eyes, remembering the first time I ever saw them.

"It's really bad Elena. Like really bad. And there's no easy way to fix it. And I don't know what to do." I confessed, disappointed in myself for letting this happen.

"You can tell me anything Stefan, you know that." She said softly, taking my hand in hers. I turned to her and took a deep breath, ashamed of what I was about to tell her.

"Remember Jason?" I asked quietly. She nodded, allowing me to continue without a distraction.

"When I killed him and Ryan, I kind of just left the bodies in the house, too worried about you and Summer. And when I got back, I didn't realize that the bodies were gone. And today, Katherine told me that she saw Jason alive and well just yesterday. We're thinking that they had someone else on their side waiting with vampire blood ready in case they were to die." I confessed, feeling guilty for throwing it all on her. She sighed deeply and didn't say anything for a while. Instead we just sat there on the porch, in silence.

"So what are we going to do?" She asked finally, asking the one thing we both couldn't stop thinking about.

"I don't know." I revealed, feeling ashamed. She nodded and stood up, adjusting her position with Summer.

"I guess we're just going to have to work a little harder this time." She suggested, turning to walk back through the red door. I looked at the house, remembering how just not long ago I remodeled it to fit her dreams that she so carefully told me one night under the covers. White house with a red door and pillars she once told me. She said that the day she lived behind the red door was the day she would feel safe.

Funny how now that she has the red door, she's never been so unsafe.

**Sorry for the short chapter. I had to leave out some of the fluff to get to the next part of the story! Also, look for a Kidnapped update, plus a new series! If you like One Tree Hill, this will be for you. I couldn't not start a continuation of the finale. It was too perfect. Here's hoping that they'll do a reunion or extension sooner or later! **

**XOXO- M**


	17. Sunrise

Hi everyone! Unfortunately, my computer has been away for the past few weeks due to a virus that attacked it. I'm using a loner right now, but I'm not getting around to updating as much as I would like. I'll work on it though! If you're looking for something new to read, look at my new story Kidnapped! It's set in the present day TVD and is about Stefan kidnapping Elena because of the Original drama and how they learn to cope with one another with the break in their relationship! Hope you enjoy this update!

What time is it? Why does it feel like I literally have gotten a total of 40 minutes of sleep in the past week? Where's the alarm button on the clock? Where are my slippers? Where's the volume on the baby monitor? Where's the floor? Where's the door handle?

I stumbled across the hall, unable to fully maintain my balance due to the lack of sleep I'm running on. Elena and I are on house arrest due to Jason being back, so our options to entertain Summer have run slim. Now, she finds joy in wailing at the top of her lungs at 3:56am.

I never make Elena get her. If I asked she would, and that's not what I want. Elena would become a zombie if I asked her to get up every time Summer cried. I need Elena to be full of life and as on her toes as possible for obvious circumstances.

I walked into Summers nursery and turned on the dimmer lights to a soft glow. I walked over to Summer and picked her up gently, leaning her on my chest. I walked over to the inviting rocking chair and began to rock, shushing her subconsciously. The room was spacious but not over the top. The room we were using was previously used as a room to store old music. The walls were a deep red to begin, but we painted them last week a light green and pink as our house arrest project. Elena made sure that the room was perfect, painting the lyrics to her favorite song all along the top of the room in neat cursive. Summer's name was also painted above her bed in larger script writing. Elena had never been much of an artist, but decided to take the time to get it right.

I heard footsteps and knew that Elena had realized I was out of bed and was tending to Summer. Soon enough she walked through the door with slightly disheveled hair and her short satin nightgown slightly twisted. I smiled at the imperfection, greeting her with a kiss as she knelt beside me.

"Why don't you ever wake me?" She asked quietly. She was squinting at the light and resting her head on my shoulder, gazing down at a sleeping Summer.

"Because you're too beautiful when you're asleep" I answered, turning to face her. She smiled softly and kissed me, sending my thoughts straight to her. When I realized that Summer was asleep I carefully stood up and placed her back in the crib, grasping Elena's hand and walking back to the bedroom. When we got inside her lips attacked mine, threatening to pull off my bottoms. I chuckled and allowed her to have her way with me, needing that time with her. I turned the baby monitor on loud and resumed with Elena, filling the room with sounds of delight. It was slow and soft, allowing us the pleasure of listening to each others breathing and heartbeat.

After a while we reclothed and went to check on Summer, pleased to see that she finally went to sleep. I left the door open and walked down the hallway to the window that overlooked the hill the boarding house was on top of. The sun was just rising, and an orange hazy glow lighted the house. Elena joined me and laced her fingers around mine, kissing each of my palms.

"How did I find you?" She asked randomly. I smiled at the question and didn't answer immediately.

"You didn't. I found you. We found each other" I admitted, looking back on the day I saw her for the first time. She smiled slightly but still remained silent due to the situation. It was nearing the hardest day of the year for her, and the thought of another year passing without her parents was torturing her.

"If you had one wish, anything, what would it be?" I asked her suddenly, wanting to know.

She went back to smiling, still looking at the sunrise.

"I don't have much to wish for. You've given me everything. If I had to choose one thing though, for the moment I would like to visit my parents graves on the anniversary of their death. I know that it's too much to ask due to Jason circumstances, but it's hard to talk to them when I can't feel them, you know? I think they would be able to clear my mind. Just to be able to sit and talk for a while." She admitted, breaking my heart. I instantly regretted asking her, because now I want nothing more than to grant her wish. It wasn't too selfish or out of the question, yet somehow it's nearly impossible without facing reprocussions.

"I really hope I can grant that for you Elena. I want nothing more" I said, realizing that I've done a decent job granting her hearts desires in the past.

"I know you do Stefan. But things like that aren't as important as keeping this family safe. I just got the two things I always wanted. I know my parents are always with me, so visiting their grave is just sentimental. Which is why it's a wish." She rationalized, making perfect sense. I thought about the last time I visited my parents graves and came up blank. Besides for digging up my fathers dead body to get the grimoire, I never visited my dad. The fact that I put him there still haunts me. That it was my first kill. My first dark act. I feel ashamed to visit him.

"What would you wish for?" She asked quietly. I thought about it for a while and came up short, realizing that despite our current situation, I really had almost everything I ever could have imagined.

"I would want for Summer to grow up like a normal child. With two parents that love her, in a house that she can bring her friends over to, with dance classes and soccer games. For her parents to be involved in the PTA and coach her soccer teams. For you and I to age along with her so she can go through the same thing we both experienced. Young love, taking risks, trusting herself. That's what I want more than anything. To give her that sense of normality." I answered, feeling satisfied with my wish. She smiled and squeezed my hand as the sun reached the top of the sky.

"I hope one day we can grant those wishes" She said shortly. I nodded and kissed the top of her head, not realizing how much I rely on her to keep me calm.

I looked around the house and saw the small touches of our lives together. The baby blankets neatly folded over the eclectic couch, the leather ottoman that has lived there since 1935. Our records that we collected together at numerous estate sales around the state framed or shelved in the main room. Her horse painting she had in her room when we first met side by side with her own paintings. Most of them were more graphics that she drew about her life. The whole wall behind the book case was dedicated to her art. The mural on the wall was one she worked on the first weekend she was here. She continued to hang up her art that she had been sketching since high school, creating a timeline of her life. It was my favorite part of the house.

Still holding her close to me, I realized that Summer was exactly two months old today.

"I can't believe it's been 10 months since I found you" I said softly, unable to process the thought.

She inhaled sharply at the thought of Ryan, looking back on her old life.

"It's hard to think about the past sometimes. To think about how every day I dreaded the sunrise. That I had no joys in life" She admitted, breaking my heart.

I turned to her and cradled her face, catching the few tears that ran down her olive skin.

"I never stopped wishing for this. Every night I would wait for Ryan to fall asleep and I would pray that one day I might feel something again. Anything. And now with you, I feel warmth and passion and lust and love and everything I wanted" She exclaimed.

I smiled widely and kissed her softly, loving her to the point that it made my side ache. I pulled her into my chest and kissed her head repeatedly, soothing her rapid breaths.

"Do you have any idea how much I love you?" I asked in a whisper. I felt her smile and look up at me, just centimeters away from my face.

"Show me" She teased, smiling. I laughed and kissed her again, waiting until I ran out of air. I took one last look at the rising sun and smiled, walking back into the nursery with Elena. Summer was fussing, kicking her legs in the air and making illegible noises. I walked over to the crib and noticed the window open, blowing crisp cold air right into the crib. The blanket we used to cover Summer was gone and she was shivering, lips blue like the sky.

"What the hell?" I exclaimed, instantly picking her up and wrapping her up in my arms. Elena grabbed a blanket and wrapped it around her, shushing the wails from her cold lips.

"Did you open the window?" She asked me worriedly.

"No, it's below freezing out there!" I exclaimed, confused and worried about Summer. I passed her to Elena and ran to turn the heater on high to try and raise the heat in the room. I drew hot breath onto her feet and hands, but was unable to stop the train of thought leading me to a blank.

"The window was locked from the inside. Are you sure you didn't maybe open it last night?" She asked me one more time. I tried to think back but realized that I was cold as well when I got up to tend to Summer, so opening the window was out of the question.

"No, I was cold so I closed the blinds. There's no way I opened the window" I said confidently. She looked at me puzzled, trying to put the pieces together.

"Where did her blanket go?" Elena asked anxiously. I began searching the room high and low, going so far as to vampire speed throughout the house.

"It's not here" I exclaimed, now not able to put the pieces together myself.

"Somehow Summers blanket was stolen and the window was open in the time from when we checked on her at the beginning of sunrise and when we went back in here five minutes ago. Did you hear anything on the baby monitor?" She asked, trying to reason the situation.

I tried thinking back about the baby monitor and realized that I didn't hear a thing on it the whole time. Not even when she began fussing before we walked in there.

"Elena, I didn't hear a thing. Not even her tantrum before we got in there and stopped it" I admitted, trying to come up with an explanation.

"If you didn't hear the tantrum but the power was on it means that the other one was turned on mute" She recollected. I nodded and turned to face the other baby monitor. When I turned it on its side the mute button was flipped on.

"Elena, I need you to stay with me at all times. You're going to come with me to close all of the windows and doors and check the house" I said nervously. I was holding onto her arm as she clutched Summer.

"Why would I do that?" She asked unaware of the situation.

"Elena. Someone was in here."

A/N: hope you enjoyed the chapter! Sorry for the lack of updates! Hope this will get you through the week! Please please review!

XOXOX- M


	18. Chill

A/N: Hello everyone! I am so sorry for the lack of updates. As many of you can relate to, AP tests and finals have pretty much taken over my life for the past month, but it's SUMMER! Expect many more updates! But, I have a question: do you guys still like this story? Answer in the reviews!

The chill in the air ran down my spine, freezing every nerve and muscle in my body. The atmosphere had shifted, and I could do nothing to protect it.

The honey colored eyes of Summer scared me. They had never witnessed malice or jealousy. Only innocent love that I shared with Elena. It scared me that today, her eyes had seen something Elena nor I could protect her from. Evil had been here, and Summer was the only witness.

"Stefan, do you think someone is in the house?" Elena asked quietly with a silent plea attached.

"I'm not sure, but don't leave my side. We're going to search right now" I said, afraid for my family. I just achieved pure happiness. And it was ripped from me in an instant.

I clutched Elena's hand and protectively wrapped my arm around her and the baby, guarding them from immediate harm. I led them down the hallway, ducking in to each room to check for someone lurking in the closets or behind the curtains. Each time it got more frightening, and every time a room turned out empty I got a sicker feeling in my stomach.

We finished checking the upstairs and decided to check the downstairs, afraid that someone was still inside. As we walked down the stairs I heard Elena's deep breaths, silently praying for her families safety, just like I was. We walked around the entire downstairs and realized that whoever was inside had escaped while we checked on Summer. I locked and closed every window, afraid that the intruder would come back. I set the motion alarms to ring if anyone touched the windows or doors.

We were used to lockdown. All of Summers life so far has been spent indoors, hiding from our past. Two months old, and never seen the outdoors.

I walked into the bedroom I share with Elena and placed Summer in her bassinet beside our bed. We knew that she was supposed to be in the crib by now, but we couldn't take any chances. I walked in to find Elena curled up into a ball, fluttering her eyelashes as she tried to go to sleep. I climbed into bed next to her and kissed her gently on the forehead, accepting the smile she gave me.

"can't sleep?" I asked, noticing the effort.

"Not anymore. I'm afraid that someone will come back" She said, making me feel guilty that I couldn't protect my family. I caressed her cheek and tilted her chin back for a kiss, shooting butterflies off in my stomach as always.

"Elena Gilbert, listen to me. No one is coming back in here, and nothing will happen to Summer. I'm here for you both" I declared, hoping it would take some stress off of her. She smiled appreciatively, but did not say anything in return. She knew that I was trying, but I really couldn't do anything about someone who has a vengeance for our family. Nothing but kill him of course.

The next few days were quiet as usual. We had our food delivered by Bonnie, and decided that if Jason didn't show up again in the next two weeks, we would continue our lives as planned from the very beginning.

That night I decided to surprise Elena with a fancy dinner for us, involving nice dresses and the good wine we share on special occasions. We got dressed in the same bathroom, almost too afraid to be apart.

"What do you think, the purple dress or the olive dress?" She asked me as I was putting on my cuff links. I turned to see her in a silk slip, hair completely curled with a hint of mineral makeup that highlighted her eyes. I smiled, glad to see her excited about the night.

"The purple" I answered, making her grin in delight.

"You always pick purple for me" She stated, placing the simple satin wrap dress over the slip, adjusting it to her slim waist.

"It was the color I met you in. you were wearing a purple shirt with your favorite true religion jeans, a black leather jacket and black converse" I remembered, treasuring the innocence of the time.

She stood there and gazed at me, almost in disbelief.

"What's wrong?" I said, coming to her side and cupping her cheeks.

She shook her head, smiling through the few tears dripping from her eyes.

"Everything was so simple then. I had no idea about vampires, werewolves, witches, hybrids, originals, crazy ex husbands and friends" she said, smiling. I smiled too, recollecting on the first month we were together before she knew about vampires. I placed a kiss on her forehead and kissed her lightly on the lips, calming her down.

We continued to get ready, remembering a thought I asked myself since I met Elena. That if we never met, would her life be as messy as it is now? Because she has had some hard times and has lost quite a few people over me, and it eats at me every day.

I didn't bring it up that night. Instead, I escorted Elena downstairs, mesmerized by her pure beauty. I cooked her favorite meal- chicken parmesean, and read her a few of my old diary entries from the 1950's. they were her favorite things, and I saved them for special occasions so they wouldn't all be discovered at the same time. The entire night Summer was close with us in a small bassinett, housing her until we finished the night after a bottle of wine and a few stolen kisses.

I escorted her up to our bedroom and turned on the shower. I wanted nothing more than to join Elena, but one of us had to be watching Summer at all times, and both of us in the shower was not watching Summer.

I sat down in the chair next to the shower door and listened to her hum a familiar tune, just relaxing at the sound of her voice. Summer looked up and smiled as Elena's voice got a bit louder, reveling in the beautiful trill that escaped her mouth.

"Keep singing, she likes it" I said through the water. Elena wiped the water drops off the shower door and smiled through it, sending butterflies flying through my body. Even through the situation we're in, she still manages to bring happiness to me.

She finished her shower and kept the water running for me, watching me take off my shirt and shorts, kissing me on my way in. She toweled off and put on a pair of silk pajama shorts and a sheer top, picking Summer up out of her chair. I finished showering and joined them in the bathroom, drying off and putting on a pair of plaid pajama bottoms.

"Can she sleep in our bed tonight?" Elena asked wishfully as she brushed her teeth. Her hair was still damp and unbrushed as she dressed Summer for bed, sitting her on her lap in bed. I smiled and nodded, earning a silent thank you.

As we got under the covers she pulled me closer, leaving little room between all of us. Elena turned to face me, looking right into my eyes.

"It's been a few weeks and nothing has happened. I think that it's time to stop living in fear and live our lives the way we were supposed to. If someone shows up, we'll be prepared, but I don't want all of Summers childhood to be locked up in a mansion because her parents were afraid that something would hurt her. I mean, isn't that what parenting is about? Learning how to conquer fears and learn new things?" She stated, arising guilt and agreement from me.

"I agree Elena, but even if we did rejoin society we would have to be extra cautious. I want you to be ready for anything, whether it be a psycho vampire hunter or soccer mom" I said sarcastically. She giggled and nodded, agreeing with me.

She raised an eyebrow, grinning mischeviously.

"So, does that mean we can go see everyone tomorrow?" She asked excitedly.

I sighed in defeat, accepting the fact that we have to face our fears at some point.

"Yes, you can see your friends" I said. She squealed in delight but quickly quieted when she realized that Summer was asleep. She lowered herself down to Summer and kissed her gently, closing her eyes. She then reached across and kissed me full on the lips, seeing fireworks from the passion she exuded.

"I can't wait until this is all over so I can be with you" She whispered naughtily. I chuckled at her attempt and kissed her goodnight, turning off the lights, going to bed with a smile on my face for the first time in months.

A/N: wow, this chapter was hard to write. Are you guys still enjoying this story? Do you have any suggestions for what you want to come next, because I'm utterly blocked! HELP!

XOXOX- M


	19. Normal

A/N: Hi everyone! Thanks so much for all the suggestions! I love reading what you guys would like to see, and don't worry, a lot of your suggestions will make their way into the story at some point!

I felt the bed shift at 6:20am, squinting my eyes open to see Elena getting out of bed. I adjusted my vision to see her clearly, and watched as she tended to Summer diligently. I pretended to be asleep, not wanting to disturb the moment between the two of them. Elena usually talked to Summer while she was tending to her, mostly out of habit.

"Today is a very exciting day for us baby girl" She began, softly brushing the thin hair on Summers head. She was cradled in Elena's arms, fitting perfectly as if she belonged there.

"Today is the first time you get to go outside! And meet your family" Elena said excitedly, whispering names of our extended family.

"I'm just warning you that you will most likely be held by a lot of people today. We haven't had a baby in the family in a very long time, and you're about the cutest baby ever!" She said in a childish voice. I turned over into the pillow to keep myself from laughing at her, but even so, I felt a chill go up my spine at how perfect she is at motherhood.

She began to feed her, still whispering to Summer.

"You know, you've kinda got it good kid. You have a mommy that loves you, a whole big happy family that loves you, and a daddy that loves you too!" She said quietly. I felt like an anvil dropped in my stomach. When she said daddy did she mean me? She thinks of me like a dad to Summer? My heart began to race even faster, and eventually I decided that it was time to "wake up".

I turned over and fluttered open my eyes as if I was just getting up. I saw her surprised expression and blushed as if she knew I was listening.

"Mmm good morning. You didn't have to get up, I would have done it" I said, feeling bad that she was up this early ,especially on a big day like today.

"Believe it or not, the mother daughter bonding time I get with her in the mornings is usually the highlight of my day" she said, spreading a smile across her face. I smiled and nodded, agreeing that it was sometimes necessary for them to have that time together.

"Are you excited to see everyone?" I asked, getting out of bed. I went to put on a shirt and watched from the corner of my eye as Elena gawked at my chest, most likely looking at my abs. I chuckled to myself, realizing that the relentless workouts were put to good use.

"I barely slept last night because I'm so excited" She said, rocking Summer back in forth in her arms. I smiled and got down on my knees to kiss Summer and Elena good morning. Summer smelled like lavender and vanilla due to Elena's special body wash she ordered Summer, insisting that she needed the sensitive formula, not the store bought brands.

I leaned in to her and kissed her hair first. I didn't know if she was too preoccupied to return the affection, but caught me off guard when she leaned her head upwords for a longer more intense kiss.

"Favorite part of my day" She said, referring to the kiss.

I smiled and walked downstairs, moving to the kitchen to begin cooking breakfast. Sundays were our breakfast days, and I always cooked. We had an unspoken agreement that I was the chef in the house and she did all the cleaning. I knew that it was for the best because she really was not able to cook to save her life. I opened the fridge to find eggs and vegetables to make omelets and heated the stove. As I was cutting up the ingredients I watched Elena saunter downstairs with Summer in her arms. She stowed her in the "fun crib" that we kept in the kitchen, and walked to my side to greet me with a kiss. She placed her hands in the pockets of my boxer shorts and moved them under my shirt. Goosebumps replaced her hands, and I hiked her up on the counter to kiss her with passion.

We kissed for a while, casually flipping the omelets when necessary, and kissing when it was not.

"Why don't we see how today goes, and if nothing goes wrong, maybe one night we can have Caroline and Matt watch Summer so we can have the house to ourselves?" She pondered, looking up to see my expression. I raised my eyebrows in disbelief, not able to visualize her leaving Summer with anyone other than us.

"You'd really be up for that?" I asked, snaking my arms around her waist. She smiled and kissed me again, nodding softly.

"I mean, maybe just for an afternoon, but I can't stand not being with you, but if Summer was here, I'd be preoccupied, and I want to be yours 100%" She said, compromising with the time slot. I nodded and smiled, realizing that our lives were beginning to become normal again.

"Let's just see how today goes and go from there" I said, watching as she got off the counter and went back to Summer as I placed our breakfast on two plates. We sat down at the table and ate our breakfast, burning our tongues without cares.

"Every time I eat, I think, damn, I got lucky that I have a guy that can cook" She said, causing me to laugh out loud.

"What did you do before I came back?" I asked, slightly shifting the mood at my reference to her life with Ryan. She sighed at the elephant in the room, but obliged, realizing that it was okay to talk about her past.

"Ryan liked consistency. I cooked seven things, a different meal for every day of the week. Once the week was over, start over with the same 7 meals. So, I know how to make meatloaf and mashed potatoes, lasagna and garlic bread, chicken pot pie and broccoli, salmon and asparagus, hamburgers and French fries, tacos and beans, and steak and baked potatoes" She recalled, reciting the menu. I realized that of all the meals she just said, I've never seen her eat one of them since we've been together. Must bring up memories that she would rather have buried.

"Well, as long as you're with me, I'll take care of the cooking" I added, not wanting to pry, but wanting to support her in her decisions. She smiled softly and glanced down at a smiling Summer. Elena smiled too, loving the fact that she was as happy as she was.

After breakfast, Elena went upstairs to get ready as I cleaned the kitchen and watched Summer. Elena had already dressed her in a onesie with a flippy skirt on top, preparing for photos that were sure to be taken some time today. As I wiped down the counters, I began to think about what the day may bring. I was very excited to see Matt and Tyler and just get reacquainted with guys. It had been a while since I was able to watch a sports game and drink a beer. But I was also worried for my family. It had been a while since we did anything even remotely normal, and taking a huge leap back into society isn't exactly discreet. The threat of someone hurting Elena or Summer was enough to keep me thinking about it constantly.

When Elena walked down the stairs, my mind dropped the subject of threats and was directed straight to how different Elena looked. She was wearing her favorite pair of true religions with a tight white v neck shirt and a tan leather belt with a tan pair of sandals. The outfit itself was not out of the ordinary, but her personality was so different. More confident, alive. It made me smile uncontrollably.

She walked down to meet me, and reached for my hand as I opened the door for her. She smiled and stood in the sun for a moment, soaking up the rays that she had missed so much. I was carrying Summer in her car seat, and strapped her in the car as Elena continued to enjoy the fresh air. We contemplated taking the Porsche so we could have the top down but decided against it, realizing that it was not safe for Summer, so Elena's new BMW SUV that was delivered last week would have to do.

"I really love this car Stefan, but you don't have to buy this kind of stuff for me. It's too much" She said, taking in the new car.

I smiled and closed her door, letting her roll down the windows and really enjoy the sunny day.

"I know I don't have to, but I was just too afraid that your old car would somehow link you to your old life. Plus, if the two women that I love are going to be driving around together without me, I need to know they're in the best car money can buy" I said, realizing that I was going a little far to say that BMW's were the best cars money could buy.

She laughed and agreed, reaching to the back seat to hold Summer's hand. She was being a little fussy, no doubt afraid of her first time outside the house since she was born. I started the car and began the familiar drive to Caroline's house, passing the local spots that Elena and I had once visited while we were dating. As we looked out the window we passed the Mystic Grill, bringing back so many memories.

"You know where we haven't gone in a while? The Grill" I said, suddenly feeling nostalgic.

She nodded, but had a look on her face as if she was almost sad.

I stroked her cheek with my thumb as I watched the road, afraid for her response.

"It's nothing, it just brings back some painful memories as well. I mean, nothing with Ryan or anything, but to think that I had my life figured out in high school and that I let it all slip through my fingers really makes me sad" She said, opening up to me. A single tear landed on my thumb and I kissed it away, kissing her hands and wrists.

"Elena, I wish more than anything that we could rewrite the past, but think about it like this. If we did end up staying together all those years, we would never have Summer, and we would have never been given a second chance to fall in love" I said, trying to look on the bright side. She smiled and nodded her head, reaching over to kiss me on the cheek. I smiled, looking ahead at the road. We turned off the main road and turned onto Caroline's street, driving down until we hit the driveway where many foreign cars sat.

I stopped the car and sped around to Elena's door and opened it for her, doing the same thing for Summer. I held her in my arms as I looked at the cars, wondering who they belonged to.

As if Elena read my mind, she began to describe who each car belonged to.

"The lexus is Bonnie's car. The Ford F-150 is Jeremy's car. The audi is Caroline's, the truck that I'm sure you recognize is the same truck Matt had in high school, and Tyler most likely drove with Caroline, although he drives an audi as well" She filled me in, giving me a glimpse at who was inside.

As I took Elena's hand in mine, I could have sworn I saw a dark figure, lingering outside by the car.

A/N: long chapter this time! Had fun writing this one! Glad Elena and Stefan could finally have some time in regular civilization! R/R!

Xoxo- M


	20. Five Years edited

A/N: hello everyone! So if you hadn't noticed, I really have been slacking on updates. I love this story so much, but a lot of the time I just get so caught up in other stuff! But I'm not done with this story line or these characters! Just bear with me.

We walked up to the doorstep, Summer in my hands, alert in her carseat, and Elena smiling ear to ear, beginning to knock on the massive door. She slid her hand through mine and squeezed as Caroline opened the door with the same goofy smile both Elena and I were wearing. In a lavender sun dress and coordinating wedges, Caroline radiated with happiness and warmth. The comforting vibes were so out of the ordinary for us, that it almost seemed abnormal.

"Oh my goodness, I missed you guys more than anything!" Caroline said as she hugged us both tightly. After she released, she caught Summer's glance and placed her hand over her mouth in awe.

"This must be Summer. Elena, she looks exactly like you! A carbon copy" Caroline commented, forcing me to look down at Summer's puzzled face. She was beginning to lose the baby weight and stretch out, giving her a lean figure. Her hair was already growing, now curly and sandy brown. Her piercing green eyes took the same shape as Elena's but the color belonged to me. She really was a gorgeous baby.

As we walked inside, we were greeted by all of our friends, ecstatic to see us, but quickly forgotten once they were mesmerized by Summer's entrancing stare. Elena stood there and basted in her love for Summer along with the rest of the room, leaving me wondering about Summer's features. Although she was only a few months old, she had already took the shape of a small toddler. I decided to leave my suspicions to rest until the day was over, not needing any reason for drama.

After the hellos and excited greetings were completed, the casual conversation began, making me feel much more comfortable. Despite the fact that I've known this group of people for years now, I still feel like an outsider to Elena's inside jokes with Matt, and Jeremy and Bonnie's recollections of their childhood together.

I glanced over at Elena who was laughing at a story Tyler was reiterating from their eighth grade dance, and was caught off guard by her beauty. Not only was her smile about a mile wide, but she was quite literally glowing. It warmed my heart that just an afternoon with her friends could do so much.

"And then Elena fell in her huge dress, butt up in the air, and dress over her head, baring her lacy pink underwear for the entire eighth grade class to see" said Tyler, finishing the story. I chuckled at the thought, not finding it far off from what I imagined to be Elena's most embarrassing moment.

She was now in a fit of laughter, trying to contain herself from snorting. As she continued to laugh and listen to old stories, I realized that Summer had become fussy, most likely awoken from all the noise. I reached into the portable car seat and picked her up out of it, rocking her back and forth for a bit to try and quiet her. Caroline glanced over to my direction as I walked out of the door, and followed me out with Summer.

The air was breezy and warm, one of the nicer spring days. I walked over to the patio couch and sat adown, leaving room for Caroline to sit as well.

"So Stefan, you look way too good with a baby on your hip. It's almost unfair to the rest of women everywhere" she said, causing me to laugh at her sincerity.

"No Caroline, I think Summer is just abnormally pretty, so she makes it look like it's me, but it's actually all her" I said, playing along. She smiled and nodded, agreeing with my choice to blame it on Summer.

She fiddled with a bracelet on her arm, when I noticed a sparkly diamond ring on her ring finger. I quickly shifted Summer into one arm so I could grab her hand and inspect the rock I suppose Tyler used to ask her to marry him.

"This isn't what I think it is" I said, taking her hand in mine and turning it at all angles to get the effect of the sparkle.

She giggled and nodded, admiring it herself, placing it out in front of her.

"He asked me a few weeks ago on our five year anniversary. He took me out on the deck and got down on one knee, and gave me the most amazing speech and told me that he knew he was going to marry me as soon as I told him I loved him, and that he's had the ring since senior year and never knew when it was the right time to ask" she explained, painting the picture for me. I smiled at the image, knowing that Tyler and Caroline were going to be happy for eternity.

I took in a deep breath and thought back to senior year, realizing that I had similar plans.

"I've had Elena's engagement ring since Junior year. Well, basically since 1860 when my mother passed away and gave it to me, but I knew it was going to be Elena's at the end of Junior year, right before I left town with Klaus. It was our last day together before Jenna died, and I had the ring in my pocket when I took her on a hike up to the Falls. I had a whole speech planned out on how it would begin as a promise because we thought she was going to turn because of the whole fiasco with Damon feeding her blood and Klaus' impending sacrifice, but turn into an engagement when the whole mess was over with" I started, watching Caroline put a hand over her mouth. I looked down at Summer and was suddenly more confused than ever.

"You're going to leave me hanging?" She asked, confused over my pause. I smiled and shook my head no, taking another breath to finish.

"That was also the day that she told me she never wanted to become a vampire, because she wanted the chance to have kids and grow old one day. That we were supposed to have time. So I realized that asking her to marry me in such a desperate time was not fair to either of us. That if we really loved each other, we would be able to make it out of the storm. But then Jenna and John died, and Klaus fed me human blood, and I left and broke her trust, gained it back again, and then lost it again when I left. I really never got another chance" I finished, feeling sad all of a sudden. Caroline and I sat there with Summer, almost soaking in the story I just shared, as a tribute to the tragedy of Elena's and my love story.

"Well, it's never too late for love. You guys are living together, raising a child, and have already gone to hell and back with this whole psycho stalker thing. It's never the perfect moment, but if you really love her, and she loves you back, you'll make it a perfect moment all on your own" She advised, enlightening me with her Caroline wisdom. I smiled and nodded, appreciating her perspective, and realizing that she was most likely spot on. I leaned over and kissed her on the cheek and stood up with Summer, gesturing her to walk inside with me. She took my hand and walked with me, gliding through the door and sitting right in Tylers lap. He smiled and kissed her hair easily and naturally, making me jealous at the ease of their relationship. I sat down next to Elena and accepted the smile from her, handing her Summer. She mouthed thank you, and leaped back into the conversation.

The day continued well into the night, and was forced to end when Summer began to get fussy. I offered to drive home and deal with Summer on my own, but Elena refused, saying that it was a team effort. She got up and gave everyone hugs and kisses goodbye, thanking everyone for clearing their schedules. We walked out the door and to the car hand in hand, Summer in my other hand asleep for now. After I buckled in Summer, I buckled in Elena and myself and began to reverse, Elena's hand in mine.

"Thank you for today, Stefan. I know that it was kind of a risk to go out considering the circumstances, but I really needed it" She said, thanking me kindly. I smiled and kissed her hand, watching as she leaned her head against the head rest and smiled with her eyes closed. We drove back home in silence, exhausted from the day, and too happy to bring our other drama surfaced. Elena ended up falling asleep like Summer, and I carried Elena piggy back with Summer in my arms. I put both to sleep within five minutes of each other, and quickly followed, realizing that today was more than I could have ever asked for. But Summer's rapid maturity and Elena's naked ring finger taunted my dreams that night.

A/N: told you it was worth sticking with me! I thought it was a pretty fluffy chapter, but of course it's needed sometimes! R/R please!

XOXO- M


	21. Crooked

A/N: So, last update I totally made a HUGE faux paw and completely forgot which direction I went with the story and basically rewrote something I already had in the story? Yeah, I confused myself as well. I edited it, so if you read the update in the first few hours it was up, I would advise going back before starting this chapter! Sorry for the confusion, like I said, it has been a while!

I was awoken with the streaming light shining through the wide open windows in the bedroom, forcing me awake despite the exhaustion that I was facing. Per usual, the first thing I looked at was Elena. This morning, Elena was sleeping in a pair of flannel pajama pants and a v-neck shirt with her mussed up hair and half on makeup due to her long day yesterday. I smiled at the flashback that was sent through my mind, remembering the times like this in high school.

_My eyes fluttered open due to the light shining in through the window in Elena's room. Although sleeping over at her house was one of the only joys I have in life, that god damned window wakes me up every time. I had grown attached to watching Elena sleep though, enjoying every second I got to relish in her pure beauty. Last night was yet another Founders Day party, and Elena decided that her public appearance would only be pleasant if she had a few drinks in her. The open bar gave her the opportunity, leaving her slightly tipsy the whole night. I chuckle at the memory, and realize that she might be hung over when she wakes up. I glance down at her and really take her in. She was wearing a pair of sleep shorts with the phrase "Sweet Dreams" on the butt, most likely from her middle school days. On top was a plain under top, with a bun right on top of her head and smudged makeup in the corners of her eyes. _

_I didn't realize I was daydreaming until she sat up, coyly smiling at catching me staring. _

"_If you're going to stare at me all morning, you better throw some money at this" She said, gesturing up and down at her body. I chuckled at her sarcastic remark, and grabbed her in my arms, making her squeal in delight. _

"_Stefan Salvatore, you put me down right now!" She said, hitting my locked arms, trying to release herself from my grip. _

"_There's no way I'm letting you go without payment" I said playfully, increasing her infectious laughter. The house was filled with her hearty laugh, and my smile widened with every second. _

"_Fine, three bucks or no deal" She said playfully. She knew that the pay would be a kiss, but being Elena, the more games the better. _

"_Nope, money isn't gonna cut it in this situation" I played, gradually moving closer to her face every remark. _

"_Oh. Well, will this?" She asked, leaning in. she first placed her forehead against mine and inhaled my scent, closing her eyes and swallowing her desire. She put both arms around my neck and took my hair in her hands, lacing her fingers through it flirtatiously. Her sweet smell had my mind turning in thirty different directions, and finally after the anticipation, she places her perfect lips on mine, crashing in to them over and over again until I could no longer breathe. _

_She pulled away after a few seconds and said, "Was that what you had in mind?" and I decided to play it cool and make up a white lie, trying to convince her otherwise. _

"_Well, I actually really wanted a Starbucks" I said shakily, still recovering from that kiss. She smiled on my lips and then withdrew her face from mine, getting up without even an appeasement kiss. _

"_Oh, well maybe you should take a cold shower first" She said flirtatiously. I chuckled and watched as she walked out of her room, "Sweet Dreams" and all. _

I was abrubtly awoken from my flashback by Summer, who I heard fussing through the baby monitor. Elena fluttered her eyelids open, groaning at the earliness of the day.

"Mmmm, was that Summer?" She asked groggily, stretching out her exhausted limbs. I was already out of bed and putting on a pair of sweatpants, tightening the waist band to fit.

I walked over to her side of the bed and sat next to her, leaning in to kiss her on the forehead.

"Yeah it was, but I got her. Just go back to sleep my love" I said, standing up. She smiled, but immediately went back to sleep, muttering an "I love you" as I walked out of the door.

I turned down the hallway and walked to Summers room, glancing down the majestic hallway that housed empty rooms. Summers room was the closest to ours, but still a good forty feet away. The morning was my favorite time of day because of the open air feeling of the house. The entire hallway was lined with windows, giving a 360 degree view of Virginia. I walked down to Summer's room and opened the teak wood door, smiling at her annoyed face that she gave us if she had been crying for too long. I walked over to the crib and took a pink blanket and Summer, walking over to the rocking chair. I began to sing her. My voice really was not going to win any awards any time soon, but Summer was always fond of it for some reason.

After singing three or four songs for her, I decided to get up and get her dressed for the day. Elena loved dressing her, like a personal doll, but I too liked to spend the time with her. I placed her on the changing table and placed one hand on her stomach as I looked through her drawers. Each item of clothing was meticulously folded and color coded, a factor of the house arrest boredom. Elena had become an organizing machine after the first few days. I chuckled at the sight of pink and ruffles, and decided on a onesie that said "Daddy's Little Girl" with a skirt on top, liking that Elena bought it for her. As I dressed her, I spied Elena watching through the doorway, smiling ear to ear. I pretended not to notice and decided to talk to Summer, much like I do on a normal basis.

"Maybe Mommy would like it if I bought you a leather jacket like we used to have. You know, when Mommy and I first started to like each other, everyone thought we were weird because we matched a lot of the time. I think she copied me" I said, bringing a loud laugh from behind. Summer saw Elena and perked up, smiling widely.

Elena still had her hair on top of her head, but had washed her face and teeth. She walked into the room and reached for summer, pulling her close to her.

"Did you miss Mama when Daddy was telling you lies?" She said in her baby voice. I chuckled and pulled Elena into me, kissing her fully. Summer watched, but Elena was kind enough to cover her eyes. Summer laughed out loud, making us both laugh at her. The sound of her laughing was the most beautiful melody I had ever heard.

I dropped my hand from Elenas face to her hand and took Summer in my other arm, walking downstairs with them both. I sat down on the couch in the sitting room and cradled Summer, accepting Elena as she snuggled next to us. I smiled down at them both and continued to sit in the still silence, being perfectly content with the silence.

"Stefan, what's next?" Elena asked quietly. I was caught off guard by the nature of her question, but knew that she wasn't unreasonable to be thinking that something bad was on its way given our past.

I sighed and took a deep breath in, not ready to dive completely into it.

"I'm not sure Elena. I know that it seems like we can't seem to have a few happy days without a bad one happening soon after, but I guess that's why we're together. Because there is no way we can bear the storm life throws us without each other" I answered, hoping to ease her running mind.

My chin was turned to look at her and she stared intently into my eyes, right into my soul. Her stare literally made my insides melt because I have never loved anything or anyone more than I love Elena.

"I love you, Stefan, no matter what happens. You're always saving me, and I'm not sure how you do it, but you've saved me more times than I can begin to make up for" She said, almost guilty for our past. I shook my head furiously and cradled her delicate face in my palms.

"You saved me long before I ever saved you, don't forget that. And without you Elena, I would probably be dead" I said, not wanting her to feel bad.

"Well there is no probability involved with me. If it wasn't for you, my life would have ended when I was 17 and drowning with my parents" She said, looking back on that fateful night that she came into my life.

I stroked her cheek and felt as she leaned into me, inhaling my scent and lingering close to my lips. I almost forgot that Summer was still cradled, tucked into the crook of my arm. Elena's closeness was too much to handle with Summer with us, yet I couldn't pull away. She kissed me- hard, passionately, and desperately, causing my stomach to do a backflip and my head to spin. My air supply was shut off, but I never had problems breathing. Before I could think twice, I put my hand against her pounding chest, stopping our action.

"Elena, we need to have a night alone" I said, trying to catch my breath. It had been months since we were alone, and even longer since we were alone alone.

She nodded and swallowed heavily, too trying to catch her breath. I looked at her mussed up hair and shifted clothes and realized that we wouldn't have been able to stop if I hadn't halted it when I did.

"Why don't we call Caroline and see if she could watch Summer for the night love?" I asked, knowing that it was a sensitive topic due to our past. She was completely afraid to let Summer out of her sight, yet she was climbing on top of me with Summer in my other arm. We needed a night away.

"I don't know Stefan. As much as I'd love to get away with you, we're still trying to get back to normal after that whole lockdown thing. Do you really think stepping away right now is for the best?" She questioned, making me feel guilty for asking in the first place.

"I don't know Elena, but I do know that it's been too long, and if I can't have you to myself for a night, I might go crazy. It's just one night Lena. I think Caroline and Matt can handle it, don't you?" I asked, trying to justify my crazy request. She sat there quietly for a second, no doubt weighing the pros and cons of the situation. I just about gave up, but out of nowhere, she spoke up.

"One night. I'll call Caroline right now and ask if tomorrow is okay. We'll have our cell phones on and we won't go far, just to the Mystic Inn or something. But, I do know that need be with you too. It's been too long, and I can't stand the thought of the opportunity going to waste" She said, filling my body with nervousness and excitement. Every ounce of my body was tingling.

Elena stood up and kissed me, walking over to the phone. She dialed the familiar number and waited for it to pick up.

"Hello? Hey Care it's Elena" She began, listening to Caroline on the other line.

"Yeah, well I actually have a favor to ask. Feel free to say no if you want, but Stefan and I really have been needing a night away from parenting and were wondering if you could take Summer for a sleepover tomorrow night?" Elena asked timidly. She waited for the response and nodded her head as if Caroline could see.

"You will? Thank you so much Care! I'll stop over tomorrow with Stefan on our way out with all of her stuff. I'll call you in the morning to run down her schedule" Elena said excitedly. She looked back at me and gave me the smile that was reserved for me. Her half crooked, half excited smile that she uses for me.

"Tell Matt I say thank you too!" She said, signing off of the call. She walked over and smiled, sitting next to me again. She picked Summer up from me and began to rock her gently, cooing her name.

I took Elenas hand in mine and examined her fingers, imagining an engagement ring on her ring finger. I thought about the 8 karat canary diamond ring I had upstairs in my sock drawer and realized that tomorrow night would be the perfect time to ask Elena to be my wife.

A/N: Yay! He finally decides to put a ring on it! Hopefully their romantic getaway won't be cut short by problems! R/R!

XOXO- M


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